Wherever the Universe Takes Me
by Ulquiorra9000
Summary: After his honorable discharge from the CCAF, vet MechWarrior Chen Yeung wanders the Inner Sphere in his new mercenary life, seeing everything the wild universe has to offer. Many things in his old life are gone... but not all. M for language and violence.
1. Chapter 1

**Wherever the Universe Takes Me**

by Ulquiorra9000

 **Chapter 1**

 _ **Harlech, Outreach**_

 _ **Federated Commonwealth**_

 _ **February 6, 3041**_

Starting life as a mercenary, a sell-sword, was the second-strangest concept to Chen Yeung. The first was traveling willy-nilly into the Federated Commonwealth, home of the Davion warmongers.

Oh, well.

"Registration is right this way, good sir," a MRB official said with a well-practiced smile once Chen stepped into its headquarters. "If you have any other questions, someone will be available to help."

"Got it. Thanks." Chen had to admit, ComStar knew hospitality. As he made his way further in the huge, pyramid-like building, he passed soft lighting overhead, plush deep red carpets underfoot, smooth walls, and even potted plants. He was hardly alone; the mercenary business was vibrant as ever, even in these interwar years. And even though the MRB was only recently transitioning itself from Galatea to Outreach, the place looked like it had always been the Inner Sphere's sell-sword capital.

It also made him realize just how far he had wandered from his original path. Sian, the CCAF, his old lancemates... relegated to the dusty past.

A woman with another well-practiced smile offered Chen a computer tablet in the waiting room, and he sat with the other hopeful mercenaries and typed in his personal data.

 **Name: Chen Yeung**

 **Date of Birth: April 18, 3012**

 **Place of Birth: Pine Grove General Hospital, Capella**

 **Skills:**

Chen hesitated on that one, his fingers poised over the touch-screen keyboard. What _could_ he do? Plus, he had the awkward situation of being dispossessed: a MechWarrior without a 'Mech mount. Some people took _dispossessed_ to mean _useless_ , but Chen hadn't taken five jumps for someone to deem him useless. Rolling his shoulders, Chen narrowed his eyes and typed in:

 **Skills: BattleMech piloting and gunnery, unarmed combat, small arms combat, strategy, language interpretation**

 **Experience: CCAF tour of duty, 3032-3039 (honorable discharge), Death Commandos tryout company, 3040**

Then there was more mundane info, such as blood type, health history such as any mental issues or allergies or previous surgeries, criminal record... it was exhaustive, just like one would expect from ComStar. Chen wrapped it up and handed back the tablet once he pressed **[Submit data]**.

"Thank you, sir," the woman said politely once Chen handed back the tablet. "Please visit again at your leisure."

The place almost felt like an expensive hotel, rather than a place where men and women hired each other to shoot and blow shit up. Funny how ComStar does that.

 _Don't worry about ComStar_ , Chen chided himself as he wandered off. There was an air-taxi stop nearby. _You're here for you. Focus on that._

The taxi ride was uneventful, but at least gave Chen a great aerial view of Harlech on the way to a nearby hotel.

*o*o*o*o*

"You wouldn't believe it, Mei," Chen said later in his hotel room, just past 10:00. He sat on the corner of his bed. "I'm all the way out here in Davion space. Yeah, I know, those bastards. But I'm not here for them. I'm trying something new."

He slowly turned over the wooden charm in his hands, the one with "Little Dragon" carved in Mandarin on its front face. "I think you'd like this place. Crowded, yeah, noisy, sure, but it feels so alive and proud. We glorify war here, and make no apology for it. I'd like to think that deep down, we all respect the spectre of death, even if we throw ourselves before it every day with impunity."

Chen swallowed and kept turning the charm over and over, as though new words would appear on it. He'd kept it on him during the Jumpship ride here from Sian, as well, but being here now, at Outreach...

He was at his new home. It was new, and scary.

"So, uh... I'll keep you posted. I don't know what kinds of comrades I'll ride with in the coming years, but even if they're honorless dogs, I'll keep my chin held high." Chen gently set the charm on his bedside table and switched on the TV to a local horse race. He flipped through the channels; cooking shows, sports news, coverage of a fire downtown, a humorous talk show... he couldn't really settle on anything. He didn't have to, though.

Chen didn't notice when he drifted off, but he woke up just before the sun came up, and it was as good a time as any. He hung the Little Dragon charm around his neck and stalked out of the quiet room. He had a taxi to catch.

*o*o*o*o*

Chen's interview skills weren't the best, but the questions that prospective employers offered were straightforward enough. And not always flattering.

"So, it says here you're a MechWarrior," an older man said at the mercenary hall that morning, him and Chen seated at a smooth wooden table. He frowned at the data tablet in his hand. "But you don't have a 'Mech? Not even a scout?"

Chen shook his head. "I plan to offer my other skills to a company to save up for a BattleMech. Until then -"

"Don't got time for that," the man snapped, waving a hand. "C'mon, kiddo, I have contracts to finish and I need 'Mech boots on the ground ASAP. And I've got more than enough troopers for infantry backup."

Chen shifted uneasily in his seat. "I assure you, I can pilot a scout 'Mech well, and they're the cheapest class. Maybe a year -"

"You either ain't listenin', or think I'm a damn fool," the man cut in. "Watson's Rangers is a company of action! Wherever there's battle, we're there and ready! I need MechWarriors who can deliver." He jabbed a thick finger down on the table. "Sorry, kid, but I don't think this is gonna work."

Chen bowed his head. "I understand."

The CO of Watson's Rangers wasn't the only one to voice his or her impatience for a dispossessed MechWarrior. The Blue Stingers didn't want him, either, even though they had simpods where Chen could maintain his skills while saving up for a 'Mech. And the CO of Becky's Blasters actually laughed out loud and giggled for thirty seconds straight when Chen made his pitch.

"I-I'm sorry, mister Yeung," the young woman said with tears streaming down her face. She hid more chuckling behind her gloved hand. "You're like a chef with no hands, or a deaf musician, or -"

"Beethoven was deaf," Chen said, his patience running thin. "And he composed late into his life."

The CO, Becky, tossed her red-dyed ponytail. "No can do, sorry. I'm my own best strategist, and I have rock-solid troopers filling my APCs. I need 'Mechs real bad." She smiled. "I mean, what did you expect? MechWarriors are _always_ in demand, but so are their mounts. Anyone can pick up a gun and learn to shoot and fight with a platoon. But BattleMechs? Hot dog! That's the real jackpot."

Chen sighed and stood. "I understand. Thank you for your time, Becky." He offered his hand.

Becky stood and shook it. "Yeah, sure. Have a nice day."

Even after a quick lunch at a diner four floors down, Chen felt drained and leaden. _I should've known,_ he thought, taking the last bite of his deli sandwich. _Like they say, life is cheap, but BattleMechs aren't. Even if I've got CCAF and Death Commando experience under my belt, I'm still just one guy, and BattleMechs... well... we all know about that._

Chen brushed a few crumbs off his shirt and jostled the Little Dragon charm. He paused. What would Mei think? Or his other lancemates, his old CO, the tough-as-nails instructors back on Sian who molded him into a fighter? The Capellan spirit didn't die so easily. No, not even in the face of rejection or mockery! Never!

 _I can do this, Mei._

And he ran right into more rejections.

"Don't got time for a dispossessed asshole, boyo," the gruff commander of Hell's Cavalry said dismissively. "Go get yerself a mount or find a new career, you read me?"

"Many apologies, good sir, but I have need to complete my BattleMech lance," the CO of Gentleman's Squad said. "Might I suggest you approach an infantry-heavy unit, or find employment at a war college as an instructor?"

Retire to teach? No way! Chen didn't come all this way to become a teacher at age 29. This was the time to fight! He had the utmost respect for his instructors back at Sian, but that wasn't where he was headed. But where he _was_ headed, at this rate, was a total unknown. And he was running out of options.

Six more mercenary units flatly turned him down with various levels of tact or lack thereof, and Chen was about to kick over a trash can in fury when he found an ad for another unit. He calmed his nerves and approached the CO in the interview room.

"Jackson's Werewolves is always keeping an eye out for talent," the commander, Samesh Jackson, said, hands folded on the table. He had his dark, thick hair cut short, gold stud earrings, and a camo-colored vest over his well-muscled chest. "What talent can you offer me, mister..." He checked his data tablet. "Chen Yeung?"

"Other than my skills?" Chen asked. "I like to think that my resume speaks for itself. But I can be flexible in a unit, part of my Death Commando training. I can serve however you would need. I can do language interpretation, serve with a squad, give tactical advice if needed, and offer insight to the Capellan Confederation, my home."

"You'd sell out your old home?"

"I mean..." Chen froze, unsure where he was going with this. He was a freelancer now, bound to no nation or flag. But could he turn against the Confederation? He might have to. "Whether we fight with or against House Liao, I can help," Chen finished.

Samesh nodded. "Gotcha. That makes sense. Look, I'm from the Dieron Military District in Kurita space. Mom moved from the Free Worlds League, Dad was a techie on Telos IV. Mom was Indian, and wanted a new life in Kurita space 'cause the Free Worlds League is batshit insane. Dad was pretty down-to-earth, aside from his work, but he loved her. And he died when mercs raided the base and blew up half the place."

Chen lowered his gaze. "I see."

"Yeah. You'd think I'd learn to hate mercenaries," Samesh said. "But no. It's a wild universe out there, and everyone's just trying to make a paycheck or protect their honor. I had military skills, and I know how to turn any fucked-up situation to my advantage. I go where the victory is. See where I'm going with this?"

Chen caught on. "Right. You're adaptable and pragmatic. Survival comes before pride or idealism."

"Okay, so you get me," Samesh said, his tone warming. "Good man. Look, even if you're dispossessed, I can use you. _Death Commando_ training? Who're the idiots who turned their noses up at that?" Samesh glared around the room, as though using X-ray vision to stare down the other employers. "And nine years in the CCAF? They don't mess around. Besides, you've got more skills to round things out. Good, 'cause I will take nearly any job of any kind. What kind of language skills you got, Chen?"

Chen stiffened his back. "Mandarin is my native language, but I'm proficient in English, as you can tell by now. And I'm conversant in Russian."

Samesh nodded. "Right. What if an employer made me an offer in Russian? What d'you say?"

Chen cleared his throat. _"YA budu vesti peregovory ot imeni moikh tovarishchey. Kakoye predlozheniye vy sdelayete?"_

Samesh clapped his hands together. "Great. I assume you were offering to handle negotiations?"

"Correct. You understood me?"

"Well..." Samesh shrugged. "It fits the context. And I know a _little_ Russian. But I'll let you handle that business." He checked out the tablet again. "So, you'd save up cash for a BattleMech while serving me in other ways?"

"Yes," Chen said, grateful that someone finally didn't have an issue with that. "I promise, I will purchase a 'Mech as soon as I can and pilot it. Even if I only can afford a _Wasp_ or _Stinger_."

"Whoa, whoa." Samesh waved a hand. "Don't start like that. I need you piloting something comfortable for you, something the Werewolves need. What kind of 'Mechs did you pilot before?"

"Mainly the _Vindicator_ ," Chen said. "A CCAF staple. But I did spend time in a _Grasshopper_ , a _Phoenix Hawk_ , and a _Quickdraw_. My old regiment was flexible that way. We all had experience in various chassis."

"So, medium to heavy," Samesh concluded. "Right. Chen, I'm sure I can use you in a 45- to 60-ton 'Mech, or maybe something heavier later on, like a _Warhammer_ if we can find one."

Chen blinked. "A _Warhammer_? For me?"

Samesh slapped the table with a hand and shook his head, grinning. "Get it through your thick skull, Chen! _I like you!_ Ain't every day someone with your skills and experience comes along. And you're humble, and play to your strengths. I need more level-headed chaps like you in my unit."

"You're the first person I met all day who was glad to see me," Chen said with a self-depreciating smile.

"Been facing rejection all day?"

"I have."

"Well, no more." Samesh offered a hand, encased in a black leather fingerless glove. "I'm offerin' you a spot in my unit."

Chen hesitated for only a split second before he shook Samesh's hand. "I'll take it. Thank you."

"Welcome to Jackson's Werewolves," Samesh declared. He snapped his fingers. "Right. Lots of logistic shit to cover. Get you to meet everyone, integrate you into the unit, get you some gear, everything."

"Do you have your own DropShip?" Chen asked. "Will we leave Outeach soon?"

"Whoa, slow down," Samesh said, gesturing with both hands. "I can't afford no DropShip. We threw down a load of cash for new, high-tech combat vehicles to escort our heavy APCs into a combat zone. Got myself a lance of _Manticore_ tanks. Ever seen one?"

"A few."

"Good. I've got another lance of mixed _Goblin_ and _Bulldog_ tanks, plus some _Warrior_ choppers. And my incomplete 'Mech lance."

Chen nodded. "I understand. Thank you again."

"You ain't gonna regret this, mister Yeung." Samesh stood and spread his arms wide. "You're a Werewolf now, with us. You'll soon learn what that _really_ means."


	2. Chapter 2

**Wherever the Universe Takes Me**

by Ulquiorra9000

 **Chapter 2**

 _ **Harlech, Outreach**_

 _ **Federated Commonwealth**_

 _ **February 10, 3041**_

The night before the Jackson's Werewolves crew was scheduled to rent a DropShip and leave Outreach for the expanse of the Sarna March, Chen got a call from none other than his new commander.

 _"Why don't you grab a few drinks with us, Chen old boy?"_ Samesh Jackson's cheery voice said. _"I'll send you the address. Don't keep me waiting."_

Samesh definitely had two sides to him, and tonight, Chen didn't mind getting better acquainted with the gentler one. So, he grabbed a taxi and found himself at a lively bar called Pete's Pub a few blocks away. It didn't take long to spot his new CO up at the bar.

"Hey hey, guys, here he is," Samesh said, spreading his arms wide as Chen approached. "Chen Yeung, everybody. Say hello."

A few of the people around Samesh greeted him, and one of them got up to free a stool near Samesh. Giving everyone a friendly wave, Chen took the seat and noticed that this was also a sports bar. Several flat-screen TVs over the bar showed 'Mech fights from all over what Chen presumed was Solaris VII, the game world.

Not bad.

"So Chen, what's your drink?" Samesh asked. "First one's on me, pal."

Chen hesitated; he wasn't much of a drinker, so his mind landed on a tried-and-true drink. "How about Coke and rum."

"Kinda cliche, but I'll allow it." Samesh spoke up and placed Chen's order to the bartender, then turned to Chen. "Thought you might get to know everyone in a friendly environment like this. Things are gonna get rough and dirty out there in the Sarna March, where we usually operate. Some usual clients might need our help with their feudal shit."

Chen nodded. He fought down a wave of fury at the thought of all those Sarna March worlds that had once flown the House Liao flag. Now wasn't the time for that.

"Meet our marksman, Anthony Pubbles," Samesh said, indicating a stout but beefy dark-skinned man on his right. "Leads the special ops platoon of Jackson's Werewolves. He can shoot someone's earlobe off from 500 meters out."

"Now that's just a big lie, Sam," the man, Anthony, rumbled. "Don't tell the newbie things like that." He broke into a grin. " _Six_ hundred meters, new guy. What do I look like, an amateur?"

Samesh rolled his eyes. "His record is 599.97 meters, but he likes to round up."

"And Samesh likes to 'round up' some of the combat data he presents to his clients to fatten up our paychecks," Anthony put in.

Samesh winced. "You _had_ to bring that up."

"A pleasure, Chen," Anthony said, offering a hand. "You Capellans shake hands, right?"

"I do," Chen said, shaking it. "Anthony Pubbles, is it?"

"Not the last name!" Anthony hissed. "It's just Anthony. Or even Annie. But no... no last name."

"I-I meant no disrespect."

Anthony's easy smile returned. "You didn't know the rules. I'll let this one slip."

"No!" A woman around Chen's age cried, slapping her gloved hands on the bar as she stared up at a TV in horror. "He was so close!"

Samesh gestured at her. "Meet Kathy Bliss, one of my MechWarriors."

Kathy slapped her hands over her face and groaned. "That's 5,000 C-Bills down the crapper, Samesh!"

Samesh's face fell. "The hell you say? I told you, 1,000 C-Bill limit 'till we hit it big! Don't gamble all your money at once!"

Kathy lowered her hands with a sheepish smile on her face. "I had a good feeling about this one. So I fudged it."

"Oh yeah?" Samesh leaned forward. "Was it Quentin Bauer at Silesia?"

"Yeah. His track record pointed to another win there, but..." Kathy shrugged. "No dice."

Samesh grinned the bartender brought Chen his drink. "Kathy makes almost as much cash gambling as she does from our contracts. _Usually_. She's had to work off a few debts."

"Not in the last year, Samesh," Kathy said loftily, taking a sip of her Manhattan. "I'm on a hot streak."

Samesh pointed at the screen. "Then what do you call that?"

"A fluke. Trust me."

Samesh sighed. "Alas, I do."

"Chen Yeung, MechWarrior," Chen said, offering Kathy a hand. He added, "Dispossessed, for now."

Kathy shook it. "Right, right... Samesh said you were gonna lend us your other talents until you got a new mount. You a gambling man, Chen?"

"No. Gambling is frowned upon in the Confederation."

"Good. Because while I make it look easy, it isn't." Kathy winked. "I pilot an _Enforcer_ , standard config. I call her Bessy. What kind of 'Mech do you wanna buy later on?"

Chen shrugged. "Maybe a _Vindicator_."

"Boo." Kathy gave him two thumbs down. "Not original. Try a _Shadow Hawk._ Or even a _Wolverine_."

Chen sipped his rum and Coke. Maybe he should have ordered something else. "You think you know me, miss Bliss?"

Kathy leaned forward. "Wanna try me, buddy?"

Chen leaned forward, too. "Is that a challenge?"

They stared daggers at each other until Kathy burst out laughing and leaned back. "Hell, buy what you want," she said. "As long as it works in the 'Mech lance, or can support the armor lances. Samesh doesn't like having rogue elements in the Werewolves. Unit cohesion is key."

Chen took another sip of his drink and decided that that was enough. "Fair enough." He noted Kathy's black leather gloves, which were at odds with her form-fitting, sleeveless shirt and knee-length skirt. "Your gloves... maybe it's none of my business, but..."

Kathy smiled again as she wiggled her fingers. "Before I trained as a 'Mech pilot, I was caught in an explosion and got both hands badly burnt while I shielded my face. I was lucky, except for my hands. They work, but they're the unlucky part of me. So, I keep them under wraps." She took another drink as though she had said nothing unusual.

"Girl believes in bad luck spirits, Chen," Anthony said. "Or something along those lines."

"It's the will of Lady Luck, Anthony," Kathy corrected him. "She's real, and I almost got on her bad side. But not again." She drew a pair of six-sided dice from her shirt pocket, turning them over in her gloved fingers. "Look, Chen: these are real ivory dice, imported from Terra."

Chen stared at them. "Isn't ivory really rare? Where does it come from?"

Kathy laughed lightly. "Hunting regulations have really done their work. Almost no one knows that ivory is elephant tusk. Even with Terra and New Home's populations stabilized and legal to hunt, it's damned hard to get. But these darlings never let me down."

"Except that one time -" Samesh started.

"Hush!" Kathy cried. "They're in a fragile state, Sam. I can't lose this streak."

Samesh made an amused noise. "Kathy hits up every craps table in every casino in every world we visit."

"And it works," Kathy said defensively. She pocketed the dice. "So, Chen... what's _your_ story?"

Chen licked his lips. What should he tell them? A lot of that was private, in his own painful past. But he was part of a new family... "I grew up on Capella and attended the War College there. I was still in training when House Davion hit and Maximilian Liao went mad and caved under the invasion. My school was attacked."

"No shit?" Anthony stared. "A war college?"

"Losses were minimal," Chen said, "but I graduated and served with Heng's Lancers in the 3030s." He tried to sound casual as he added, "And I was hand-picked to serve in a trial run to resurrect the Death Commandos."

Kathy gasped. " _The_ Death Commandos? What happened?"

Chen's stomach clenched. "Let's say the Death Commandos unit is shelved for now. I got an honorable discharge late last year. And here I am."

Anthony whistled. "Tough break, Chen. Well, we're on your side now. Ain't no one gonna kill you while you're running with us."

"That's a promise," Kathy added earnestly. "Lady Luck will watch you too, Chen." Then she smiled and tapped the wooden charm on Chen's necklace. "Oooooh. What's that?"

Chen held a hand over it. "My old lancemate carved it for me. The characters are 'little dragon'. It was a gift."

Kathy gently shoved his shoulder. "Was it your lady friend?"

Chen scowled. "That's private."

"So it was." Kathy casually took another drink. "Welcome to the team, lover boy."

Chen wasn't sure whether Kathy realized that Mei Hanfan, along with his other CCAF friends, was long dead, and this was all he had left of her. Better not to push that topic. Instead, he raised his undesired drink. "To new friends, then."

"Damn straight." Samesh took a drink with the others. "You know what, Chen, the second round's on me, too. We've got the whole night ahead of us."

They sure did. Chen met some more of his new fellows, including the platoon commanders Jimmy Nolan and Sentaro Tsuchakov, who enjoyed a fierce but friendly rivalry in absolutely everything they did, along with a tank commander, Adrian Beck, who claimed that he once shot an autocannon burst _into_ another tank's turret and destroyed the whole vehicle from within (Kathy doubted it), and many more.

"Any good at darts, Chen?" Adrian asked an hour into the gathering. "C'mon, be a sport."

Chen made an awkward smile. "Well... maybe. Let me see." He scooped up the darts while the Werewolves cheered him on. He took aim and threw, landing the dart right in the 1 zone. His next dart landed just barely in the 2 wedge.

"Go for three!" Anthony boomed. "Then you can go again."

Chen took careful aim and hurled the dart... and it landed solidly on 17.

Almost everyone groaned. "And here I thought you were gonna be good," Kathy teased. "Lady Luck hasn't warmed up to you yet."

"Then why don't you try?" Chen offered, jabbing a thumb over his shoulder at the board.

Kathy shook her head and took a sip of her second Manhattan. "Sorry, it's a Tuesday."

The other Werewolves were game, though, for not just darts, but pool too, and by 11:00 PM, Chen staggered out of Peter's Pub a little tipsy, but confident that he had joined up with the right crew. A new family.

Funny how that felt so right and wrong at the same time.

*o*o*o*o*

 _ **Nueva Aragon**_

 _ **Sarna March, Federated Commonwealth**_

 _ **February 13, 3041**_

"Governors! We simply _must_ evacuate!"

Chief of palace security Romero threw open the office's wide double doors, sweat shining on his face, the man panting hard in his gray and camo-colored armor. From the hallway came the chaotic sounds of men rushing and shouting orders, and scattered gunfire and cries of pain.

The brothers Vincente and Fernando Mendez looked up from their tactical map with oddly calm expressions. "Yes, we know," Vincente said, smoothing his slicked-back hair. "We were finalizing our plans for harassing the Free Worlds forces once they take the capital of the fiefdom."

"We are sure to fall, for now," Fernando added. "But the _fight_ is not over yet."

"Yes, I know," chief Romero said. "But if you do not retreat this moment and go underground, you both will be captured! The 12th Marik Hussars are nearly upon us. Palace defenses are overwhelmed. There is no time."

Brothers Vincente and Fernando looked out the massive window. Nueva Aragon's sun was setting fast, and the flash of autocannon shells and tracer rounds stood out in the deepening twilight. None of it bode well; the Marik interlopers had finally pushed through the capital city's defenses and were now on the Mendez brothers' doorstep. Medium and heavy tanks led the way on both sides, shuddering the ground with SRM explosions and blinding green and red lasers. Infantry deployed from APCs to exchange fire, and helicopters on both sides flew in tight circles, adding their own deadly fire from above.

"Fine. Let's go." Fernando tore his eyes from the sight, rolled up the paper map, and hurried with his brother down the hallways, a security detail rapidly forming around them. The brothers were barely thirty, both trusted with their continent-sized nation after their father's assassination. Now, they'd have a _real_ test of their resolve... but they'd need help.

"That request for mercenary reinforcements went out just in time, before comms were cut," Vincente assured chief Romero. "We will have our moment to strike back, I assure you."

"Of course," Romero said shortly. "Now let's _go_! There's a Karnov waiting for you at the palace's rear heliport. It will get you to your emergency command bunker, as per protocol."

"Right," Fernando said, his mind already back on the guerrilla tactics he and Vincent were concocting. FWLM high command would soon regret raiding worlds like Nueva Aragon on the Marik- Davion border. This fiefdom couldn't count on the other nations on this planet for aid, what with the centuries-old feuds here... but outside help was always an option.

Surrender was not.


	3. Chapter 3

**Wherever the Universe Takes Me**

by Ulquiorra9000

 **Chapter 3**

 _ **DropShip**_ **Lancelot**

 _ **Nadir jump point, Castillo system**_

 _ **Sarna March, Federated Commonwealth**_

 _ **February 22, 3041**_

The JumpShip _Halberd_ had barely arrived in-system when Chen got an alert on his PDA summoning him to the rented DropShip's tactical room. Somehow, Chen wasn't surprised; Samesh had found a lucrative job here, two jumps away from Outreach, and there was no time to waste. Shrugging to himself, Chen rose from his bunk, threw on a light coat over his tank top, and navigated the _Lancelot_ 's cramped hallways.

 _Bit of a squeeze._ Although this _Union_ -class DropShip cozily carried all of Jackson's Werewolves assets down in the loading bay, there wasn't much leg room up here in the living quarters. And this ship was an old one by any standard; the walls were rusty and patched up at random places, and the ceiling was similarly patchy, exposing some pipes and wires that sometimes leaked water or sparks. Kathy Bliss had joked that the creaky old _Lancelot_ was hungrily drooling on them; Chen just wanted to reach the battlefield ASAP.

"Good, you're here," Samesh said, looking up from his computer tablet when Chen joined the crowd. "We can get things rolling."

Chen stayed near the crowd's back with the vehicle crew members and techies, but he was tall enough to see the maps on the flat-screen monitors behind Samesh.

The CO pointed at a planetary map. "Okay, boys and girls, here's our next stop: the Randilis continent of Nueva Aragon, second planet in this system. The _Lancelot_ is burning hard for the world and we'll get there in three days. 'Till then, I want us all reviewing all the data our client got us."

Samesh double-checked something on his tablet before plowing on. He swallowed and rubbed his gloved hands together. "Look, it's gonna be a tough, defensive campaign as soon as we land. Not gonna lie to you all; our clients are in some deep shit. The governors of the Randilis Federation, Vincente and Fernando Mendez, had to evacuate their capital city once the 12th Marik Hussars muscled in. The Hussars are a mixed battalion with some advanced models of 'Mechs and armor assets. Looks like Thomas Marik really wants to test Hanse Davion's defenses after the War of 3039, and this is the deepest into Commonwealth territory that any of his forces got."

To match this point, Samesh pointed at another map. Chen instantly recognized the general region that encompassed the Sarna March (including old Capellan space), part of the Lyran Commonwealth, and most importantly, the Free Worlds League.

 _I didn't expect a campaign of this scale!_ Chen felt a chill; he'd focused on the Liao-Davion front during his time in the CCAF, and his fellow soldiers had often dismissed the FWLM as a bunch of disorganized clowns crammed into purple uniforms and silly 'Mechs. Not this time! Five Commonwealth worlds were under fire, including Styk, Zurich... and Nueva Aragon.

Samesh slapped a gloved hand on the hologram table, his eyes hard. "We aren't gonna fuck around, Werewolves! This is our biggest contract in years. Those four _Manticore_ tanks in the loading bay are brand-new. They still have that new-armor smell, and I want it gone. If we impress the Mendez brothers and make splash here in the Sarna March, more and better contracts are gonna fall in our lap, and I won't let that chance slip by! Are you with me?!"

Everyone roared in the affirmative, some of them pumping their fists. Chen was quiet, but he felt a satisfied grin tug at his lips. Good; he was being led by a man of fire and steel, someone who knew exactly what the hell he wanted. Samesh Jackson would see them through Nueva Aragon and beyond.

Assuming he didn't take an autocannon shell between the eyes.

"We'll be working with a few minor merc bands, and what's left of the Randilis Federation's defense force," Samesh continued, composed once again. "We will make planetfall at a designated landing pad near the brothers' field base, and I'll work with them and the other merc bands to cook up a counter-attack strategy to retake the capital city. But we're gonna be under fire _the whole time_. Free Worlds asshats want that field base gone, and it's up to us to weather that storm and launch our counter-offensive."

Samesh raised his voice. "I don't want any sloppy work out there! We have some new guys to impress. Hell, we have a former Death Commando in here. You guys all met Chen, right? There in the back row?"

Chen felt his face warm as half the room turned to look at him. Some of the Werewolves nodded or gave him the thumbs-up, but others looked skeptical, or even furious that a dispossessed MechWarrior was coming along for the ride.

It couldn't be helped.

"Peter and I have some last-minute details to work out," Samesh said, "but once we land planetside, it's boom boom boom, get in, get the job done, earn some credits, and we're outta there. Dismissed!"

The crew members filed out of the room while Chen hesitated. Spending a decade in the CCAF put Chen on the front lines against the vastly superior AFFC along a long interstellar border, and the desperate CCAF needed every advantage it could get. Details maps, intel, and counter-intelligence ops were often the only thing preventing even more Davion incursions. Old habits died hard.

Chen stepped forward and eyed the maps again. The Mendez brothers' field base seemed just over one hundred and fifty kilometers from the capital city, with some craggy bluffs, heavy forests, and rivers in between. His mind was already looking for routes of attack and counter-attack from both sides -

"Hey." Samesh snapped his fingers. "You okay, new guy?"

"Y-yeah."

Samesh was glaring. "You looked fazed out."

"Just studying the maps."

Samesh relaxed. "Good man. But really, Peter handles that stuff, and he never lets me down. You ever meet him?"

"Not yet." Chen knew of Peter Andrews, chief strategist for Jackson's Werewolves, but hadn't met the man yet.

Samesh shrugged. "Maybe you'll meet him during the job on Nueva Aragon. Guy has a mind like I've never seen. After this campaign, maybe you can study with him, and apply whatever you learn on our next few contracts. You have think-on-your-feet skills that Peter doesn't, and I can't bring him onto a battlefield the way I can with you."

Chen blinked. "You don't want my help for the Nueva Aragon job?"

Samesh draped an arm around Chen's shoulders and made a small grin. "Take it slow, new guy. You're new to this; watch and learn first. But don't worry, I'll find plenty of use for you until you buy a BattleMech. You get me?"

Chen grinned back. "Of course."

Samesh lowered his arm. "I'd hope so. Now get your ass down to the bar and have a drink, buddy. These are gonna be your last three days of peace and quiet."

*o*o*o*o*

 _ **Federation Base of Operations, Nueva Aragon**_

 _ **Sarna March, Federated Commonwealth**_

 _ **February 25, 3041**_

The _Lancelot_ barely touched down on Nueva Aragon's Randilis continent when the alarms blared to life. Red lights pulsed on the walls and Chen shielded his eyes from the glare. _What the...!_

Chen's PDA chimed. _**From Samesh Jackson: Get your asses in gear, Werewolves! We're going in hot; base is under attack. Standard defensive formations!**_

Below that, Chen had a personal message instructing him to board one of the APCs with the other infantry, and proper gear would be provided for him. There was no time to waste. Chen swallowed, squared his shoulders, and raced down the _Lancelot_ 's hallway to the elevator.

A roar of noise and commotion hit Chen once his elevator car arrived at the loading bay. The massive boarding ramps were already lowering, their hydraulic arms hissing and groaning as they managed the colossal weight of the doors. The Werewolves' eight armored tanks had already rumbled to life, and their turrets rotated as the crew members double-checked all the systems.

Then there was the BattleMech lance. Chen hurried across the bay's floor and toward the infantry squads, and he passed under the towering machines. The biggest was a battle-scarred _Grasshopper_ , a tough 70-tonner loaded with laser cannons, backed up with an LRM 5 launcher on its head like an oversized ear. The _Grasshopper_ took a few steps forward, arms held out for balance as it carefully stepped over personnel and supply trucks before they cleared out of the 'Mech's way. The _Lancelot_ 's bay shuddered slightly under the heavy 'Mech's footfalls.

Backing up the _Grasshopper_ were two medium 'Mechs: a classic _Shadow Hawk_ , with its distinctive autocannon 5 mounted on its shoulder, and a rather dog-eared _Trebuchet_. Chen could hear the _Trebuchet_ 's inner skeleton and myomers groaning and creaking as the 'Mech moved, and it wobbled slightly as it went. No doubt Samesh would use some of this job's payment to patch up that poor 'Mech.

Last was a _Panther_ , a DCMS staple. Although only 35 tons, it had a hard-hitting PPC in its right arm, and an SRM 4 launcher for backup. Overall, Chen decided, it was a battle-worn but finely balanced lance to back up the two armor lances. Having those massive 'Mechs towering over him comforted him, rather than intimidate him. Who knew what forces the 12th Marik Hussars would throw at them?

"Hey, new guy! Move it!" hollered one of the infantry platoon commanders.

Chen jogged over to his new comrades. "Sorry. Ready for action, commander."

Jimmy Nolan, commander of the first infantry platoon, nodded tightly. "Okay, uh..."

"Chen Yeung."

"Right. Chen, here's some body armor, and your choice of firearms. Load up into APC 3 when you're ready. We don't have much time."

Indeed, Chen could hear the hellish din of battle outside the _Lancelot_ 's protective hull: the rippling explosions of missiles, the deep hum of lasers, the sharp bark of autocannons. Chen threw on body armor over his Werewolves field uniform and checked out the array of firearms available. He picked up an automatic rifle and tested its weight and size. He recognized it: a JL-50 rifle, commonly built in the Free Worlds League and parts of the Capellan Confederation. It didn't have enough special features to impress elite commando units, but it was adequate nearly anywhere else. Not to mention its 30-round magazine and resistance to jamming and getting water-damaged.

Chen slung the JL-50 around his shoulder and holstered a flechette pistol, then boarded APC 3 with the rest of first platoon's squad 1.

"You ready, new guy?" one man asked. "Not gonna be pretty out there."

"I know," Chen said. "But I trust that commander Nolan knows what he's doing."

"Sure does," a woman with cocoa-colored skin said with a wink. "Stay close to us, Chen. We've got your back."

"As long as you have ours," another man added.

Chen nodded to both.

It was time. The bay doors had fully lowered, and the APC started forward, its wheels smoothly going over the bay's metal floor and down the ramp. Chen held his JL-50 tightly as the sounds of battle seemed to triple outside the APC's lightly armored hull. The APC bounced and jostled over the battle-pitted battlefield.

The APC's hull didn't have windows, so Chen went in blind as the APC, and its seven brothers, navigated the battlefield. From here, Chen could hear the driver's comms and got a sense of what was going on.

 _"Manticore lance is in position. We've got you covered,"_ a tinny voice said. _"Light armor lance is moving to flank enemy armor assets. APC lance one, what is your situation?"_

"Moving to fire-support position," the driver responded. "Enemy infantry spotted. Demo troopers are ready to neutralize enemy armor assets."

Chen blinked. "We have a demo team?"

"Each squad has two demo experts," the woman said cheerily. "Me, and Bobby over there. Whatever treaded beasties the Mariks have here, we'll blow 'em to hell. Don't you worry, Chen."

"Enemy BattleMech lance moving close to my position," the APC's pilot said tightly. "Adjusting course."

 _"Copy that, APC 3,"_ came the voice. _"Take it easy. Those 'Mechs would vaporize your ass."_

"No shit," the commander said. "APC 3 out."

The APC's engines roared as the vehicle took a hard right turn and sped across the unseen battlefield, and Chen held on tight to his seat's handholds. By the time the APC slowed to a stop and the troop bay door opened, Chen's heart was going a mile a minute, and held his JL-50 so tight his hands were going numb. He forced himself to relax. _You have comrades. We will survive this._

Chen deployed with the other seven squadmates and needed a minute to take in the battlefield. The Mendez brothers' command base, a massive structure in the middle of a light forest, loomed over a busy battlefield in the afternoon sun. Smaller buildings, from warehouses to 'Mech and vehicle holding bays, acted as cover for lances and squads of Marik forces and the defenders. The Randilis Federation's own forces held the line with the various mercenary support, but the 12th Marik Hussars were pressing hard, and already, charred vehicles, and a few BattleMechs, had fallen. Flames, smoke, and confused shouts choked the field. And more Marik forces were still emerging from the forest at the large base's perimeter.

And, as expected, hostile infantry and tanks were closing in from the base's northeast perimeter, heading right in Chen's direction. The Werewolves' other APCs were parked and deploying their troops to meet the attackers.

"Squads, get into position!" commander Jimmy Nolan barked. "Go, go, go!"

Chen unslung his JL-50 and bared his teeth. _Bring it._


	4. Chapter 4

**Wherever the Universe Takes Me**

by Ulquiorra9000

 **Chapter 4**

 _ **Federation Base of Operations, Nueva Aragon**_

 _ **Sarna March, Federated Commonwealth**_

 _ **February 25, 3041**_

Right away, Chen could tell that the 12th Marik Hussars were attempting a pincer maneuver to crush the base's defenders. He'd seen too many tactical maps, and read too many essays on modern warfare, not to see it. And sure enough, he looked across the battlefield and spotted an assault lance of 'Mechs, each machine painted with the typical purple and silver hues of House Marik.

Chief among them was a _Zeus_ , the standard ZEU-6S model. Up close, its LRMs were clumsy, but its lasers and autocannon 5 could deal substantial damage, not to mention the machine's brawn in melee combat. The _Zeus_ lumbered confidently onto the battlefield, ignoring the smoke and stray bullets and lasers flying around it. As Chen watched, the _Zeus_ aimed its autocannon 5 and spat out five explosive shells that tore into a _Drillson_ tank. Armor chipped off the tank's nose, and the _Zeus_ melted off more armor plating with its large laser a second later. Molten armor oozed from the point of impact.

Jimmy Nolan slapped Chen's shoulder. "Focus!" he roared over the battle's din. "You wanna take a bullet to the face, new guy?"

Chen shook his head. "Sorry, sir. It looks like a pincer maneuver to me. Could be deadly."

Jimmy nodded. "Good eyes. But leave the tactical stuff to the officers, Yeung. We've gotta neutralize those lances up ahead to break up the pincer maneuver. That's our job. And yours."

"Got it." Chen held his JL-50 in position as he followed his platoonmates into cover behind several large rocks near a towering tree. From here, Jackson's Werewolves opened fire on Marik infantry, and already, several enemy soldiers went down. The rest, however, snapped into formation and returned fire. Chen stayed snugly in cover and let bullets fly overhead.

"Okay, demo team one is moving to intercept that enemy _Rommel_ ," Jimmy told the platoon. "Its autocannon 20 can tear up anything the Werewolves can throw at it. Our armor lances are staying out of range for now, but that won't last long. Once the demo team gives the signal, we lay down cover fire. You all got that?"

"Yes, sir!" Chen shouted with the others. He felt his heart pound in his chest as he heard the massive enemy _Rommel_ tank roll closer, its treads and wheels creaking as it went. The very air seemed to shatter as the tank opened fire on anything its autocannon 20 could reach. Chen winced as another defending tank, a _Goblin_ , split into two flaming halves as twenty ballistic shells tore down the middle. _That thing can stand up to heavy 'Mechs and then some!_

Meanwhile, Jimmy Nolan peeked from around cover, waiting for the demo team's signal, his eyes wide and alert. He glanced over at the other platoon leader, Sentaro Tsuchakov, and nodded.

"OPEN FIRE!" Jimmy ordered.

At once, Chen emerged from behind cover with his platoon mates and aimed down his JL-50's sights. His shoulder ached as he pulled the trigger, the weapon's stock pounding him as it spat out heavy rounds. Jimmy's timing was perfect; the Marik troops were caught between the Werewolves' fire support squads and the demo team. The return fire wasn't as coordinated as last time, and Chen felt a sense of momentum as kept firing. It was working; the plan was unfolding right on time.

 _Dammit!_ Chen bared his teeth in frustration as the Mariks proved him wrong. The _Rommel_ , which was running out of hard targets, started sweeping its small laser across infantry formations, both that of Jackson's Werewolves and the Federation's platoons. Men cried out as the hellish laser vaporized their bodies, and two enemy _Drillson_ s added their machine gun fire as backup. Several Werewolves fell where they stood, and Jimmy and Sentaro hastily ordered the platoons into a more defensive formation. But that meant leaving the demo team exposed.

Chen's mind raced. _The demo team is nearly there! But if we don't keep covering them..._ He couldn't keep this to himself. "Commander! What are your orders? The demo team -"

"I didn't forget about them, new guy," Jimmy barked. "Squads, circle around to flank! Keep the hostile tanks on their toes, and we'll keep the demo team and our own asses alive."

"Yes, sir!" Chen hustled with his squadmates through the light forest's underbrush, bullets and small lasers still going every which way. The demo team probably didn't have much time...

 _BOOM!_

"Ha ha! First score of the day," one of Chen's squadmates hooted.

 _What the...?_ Chen got into his new position with the others and knelt, ready to fire. But first, he saw the ruins of the enemy _Rommel_ tank, the whole thing busted from the anti-armor explosives attached to its underbelly thanks to the demo team. Flames swallowed up what was left.

"Good! Now cover the demo team from here, and they can take out -" Jimmy started.

Chen's jaw dropped in horror as the _Rommel_ rolled forward, still on fire, its heat-damaged armor creaking and squealing from the effort. The turret swiveled every which way, eager for a target. On a whim, it seemed, the monster tank brought its AC/20 to life with a roar, and the shells blasted a long line of craters into the ground, forcing all nearby infantry to scatter. Worse, the enemy soldiers and _Drillson_ s covered its flank to protect their AC/20-toting asset.

"Damned thing won't die!" Jimmy snarled. "The demo team must have gotten sloppy... we still gotta cover 'em! Squad, prepare to -"

A stray bullet caught him in the chest, and he collapsed, hands seizing the bleeding wound. "Squads... keep firing!" he hissed through bared teeth.

"Sir, that _Rommel_ -" Chen started.

"Cover the demo team!" Jimmy repeated.

But it was too late for that. The Mariks had regained the initiative, and they endured the Werewolves' cover fire enough to cut down the demo team, one man at a time. The team's explosive payloads dropped to the ground, useless.

"What now?" Chen roared. "We can't take out tanks like this!"

"Look!" a man cried, pointing behind Chen.

"What?" Chen whirled around. A _Hunchback_ HBK-4P, loaded with medium lasers, marched forward, towering over the tanks and infantry alike. It had scorch marks and scrapes on its armor, but since it was painted with the Randilis Federation's colors, Chen welcomed the sight of it.

The _Hunchback_ planted its feet into the ground and let loose. Brilliant medium laser beams hummed through the air, and Chen shielded his eyes from the intense light, his eardrums aching from the noise. Then, he heard the firecracker-like string of explosions that marked an ammo detonation, and he knew that this time, the _Rommel_ was done for. He uncovered his eyes and watched the _Rommel_ shudder from the autocannon shells going off inside its battered hull.

"Hell yeah!" someone shouted. At the same time, both _Drillson_ tanks backed away, hammering the _Hunchback_ with their SRMs. The BattleMech recoiled from the impacts, then took a step forward and bore down on the nearer _Drillson_. Once again, energy beams leaped from the 'Mech's cannon muzzles and converged on the hapless tank. The combined beams tore through one spot on its armor and melted the _Drillson_ 's internals, and the tank went still as smoke poured from inside.

Having seen enough, the other _Drillson_ backed away and rejoined the battle elsewhere while the _Hunchback_ cooled off. Marik infantry followed, and the Werewolves secured the area.

 _We only survived because of this_ Hunchback _,_ Chen realized. It was his first combat op, and already, he needed his ass saved from someone else. What would have happened to him and his squad otherwise? Had Jackson's Werewolves already gone too deep?

 _No. Stop it. War is cruel to everyone. We can still fight_ , Chen told himself. He didn't know much first aid, so he hung back while two other Werewolves administered first aid to Jimmy where he lay, preparing to get him out of the field of fire. Nearby, a squad from Sentaro's platoon recovered the demo team's equipment and its last surviving member. Chen relaxed; for now, the squads would recuperate, and then -

An enemy _Orion_ burst onto the scene, looming right behind the _Hunchback_. Clearly low on ammo, the _Orion_ opted to swing its left arm's cylindrical SRM launcher at the _Hunchback_ 's shoulder.

The sheer impact of metal on metal was like a thunderclap. Armor dented and warped from the collision, and the _Hunchback_ buckled and stumbled from the force. Desperate, the pilot staggered back and whirled around to face its attacker, but the three medium lasers that it fired didn't faze the _Orion_ 's pilot at all. Instead, the bigger 'Mech took another swing, and the _Hunchback_ stepped back just in time to avoid it. The _Orion_ swayed on the spot.

Once again the _Hunchback_ fired its lasers, but it still didn't penetrate the bigger 'Mech's thick chest armor. With its torso glowing red-hot, the _Orion_ slammed its foot onto the _Hunchback_ 's right knee, and the smaller 'Mech fell to its hands and knees, threatening to topple over entirely as the _Orion_ towered over it.

Chen stood there, transfixed by the vicious melee. To see BattleMechs this close, slugging it out... he knew what it felt like to operate as a MechWarrior, snug in the cockpit of your own machine, lording yourself over everything. Right now, he was an ant, his JL-50 rifle useless in his hands.

"Chen! Get to cover!" someone shouted. "You wanna get killed?"

"We gotta do something," Chen muttered. He whirled around to face his squadmates. "If we don't back up that _Hunchback_ , we're all dead meat. Did we recover the explosives from the demo team?"

Commander Tsuchakov hesitated, looking back and forth between Chen and the other soldiers, then got out his comm. "You'd better have a plan, Yeung," he said. Then he activated his comm. "Squad 5, come in! We need the demo team's charges over here, ASAP! Move it!"

Chen winced as the _Orion_ started pounding its fists on the _Hunchback_ 's rear armor at leisure, waiting for a chance to breach it under its knuckles. If this didn't work...

"Here, commander!" A woman from squad 5 hurried over, her face streaked with sweat and gunpowder. She tossed the demo charge to commander Tsuchakov, and the platoon commander promptly armed it.

"Could have been in the demo team myself," Tsuchakov muttered. Then he raised his voice. "Get back and cover me!"

At once, Chen formed up with his squad and lay down suppressing fire on nearby Marik squads that tried to intervene. Chen didn't care that he was recklessly eating through his ammo; he simply slammed another magazine into place and kept firing. If that _Hunchback_ went down...

Commander Tsuchakov got into throwing range of the _Orion_ , braced himself, and hurled the live demo pack with all his might.

The _Orion_ deflected it.

"What...!" Chen blurted out. He stared in shock as the _Orion_ knocked the demo pack upwards with a swipe of its right arm's gun muzzle, allowing the pack to explode in midair. The sheer force sent out a searing shock wave of air that buffeted the heavy 'Mech, but the detonation had little more effect than singe the _Orion_ 's armor.

 _The pilot must have been keeping one eye on commander Tsuchakov the whole time!_ Chen realized. No doubt that pilot was wary of anti-'Mech actions from infantry. Inferno rockets, vibro mines... infantry had various ways to deal with machines many times their size.

"We gotta fall back!" commander Tsuchakov roared as Marik infantry kept arriving. "This sector has fallen."

 _If we don't hold this zone, the 12th Hussars' pincer maneuver will crush the entire defense force!_ Chen knew that the Mendez brothers and all their mercenary allies were running out of time. But the Mariks had frustrated every attempt at resistance. The demo team was out of action. There were no friendly 'Mechs to spare. There wasn't -

An idea popped into Chen's brain. It was desperate, but possible.

"Squad commander!" Chen cried. "How many hand grenades can we spare?"

Chen's squad leader blinked. "A few. Why, Yeung? Got another idea?"

"I need adhesives!"

"You mean like this?" One of the support troopers brought over a package of "magnet cloth", as some called it, a thick fabric that could bind metals surfaces together. It was usually used for repair jobs or temporarily mounting small weapons onto surfaces.

Chen borrowed the magnet cloth and wrapped five grenades in it. "Wish me luck."

Without any hesitation, Chen sprinted through the underbrush and into the _Orion_ 's shadow, well aware of how risky this was; he was totally exposed. But no one had any reason to think the _Orion_ was in any more danger. Chen primed the five grenades, tensed his arm, and prepared to throw.

Everything seemed to slow down as the makeshift package arced through the air.

At first, it looked like the grenade cluster would fall short of its massive target... then the magnet cloth yanked the give grenades right to the _Orion_ 's right knee, into the crevice between armor plates.

One second passed. Another... and another...

The _Orion_ buckled as the five detonations vaporized the myomer muscles and inner skeleton at the _Orion_ 's knee and upper shin. The 'Mech spread out its arms to steady itself, but smoke poured from the injured knee, and the _Orion_ started to lean dangerously to the right.

Inspired, or just vengeful, the _Hunchback_ 's pilot sat up on its knees and fired three medium lasers into the afflicted knee.

This time, the _Orion_ 's leg split cleanly in half at the knee, and the 75-tonner sprawled on its back with an earth-shuddering impact. Chen fought to stay on his feet but couldn't keep an elated grin off his face. _That did it!_

The _Hunchback_ stood over the fallen _Orion_ and pumped a single laser into the head, finally ending the bigger 'Mech's rampage. Then, without the _Orion_ to back them up, the Marik infantry drew back.

Platoon commander Tsuchakov kept the Werewolves' platoons together and fought cautiously, but at last, the battle's tide was turning. The Hussars' pincer maneuver had failed, and the defenders were pushing them back out of the base's perimeter. The Marik _Zeus_ , which had led the charge, had lost its right arm entirely, and its autocannon 5 had gone silent, its ammo bin exhausted. The huge 'Mech instead kept backing away, laying down defensive fire with its lasers as its lance backed away.

Meanwhile, Jackson's Werewolves' 'Mech lance was still standing and did its part to route the interlopers. The _Grasshopper_ , though badly battered, kept up a blistering barrage with its laser batteries, and the _Panther_ , _Shadow Hawk_ , and _Trebuchet_ , though low on ammo, didn't stop firing whatever weapons they had left until the Hussars' retreat was complete. Once the two sides were out of each other's effective range, the Mendez brothers finally held the field.

Chen let out a weary sigh and slung his JL-50 over his shoulder. "Glad that's over."

"No time to catch our breath," commander Tsuchakov said. "We gotta get Jimmy into intensive care, then meet with the Mendez brothers for a tactical update. We're not done on Nueva Aragon yet, new guy."


	5. Chapter 5

**Wherever the Universe Takes Me**

by Ulquiorra9000

 **Chapter 5**

 _ **Federation Base of Operations, Nueva Aragon**_

 _ **Sarna March, Federated Commonwealth**_

 _ **February 25, 3041**_

The Mendez brothers, Vincente and Fernando, didn't wait long to hold a general strategy meeting at their field HQ's main building. In fact, the dust had barely settled (often literally) when Samesh Jackson was invited to the meeting, and Samesh opted to bring Chen with him.

"What about Peter?" Chen asked as he and Samesh rode an elevator in the base's central building. "He's your strategist."

Samesh shook his head. "Peter doesn't do crowds, Chen. He's not big on meeting new people at all, really."

"Is that why I haven't met him?"

"Yeah. Nothin' personal," Samesh said. "Being in a roomful of people stresses him the hell out. No, I'm gonna relay all data the Mendez brothers give us back to him aboard the _Lancelot_. He'll know what to do with it."

Chen nodded mutely. Strictly speaking, he was lucky to be here at all, being a mere trooper in Jackson's Werewolves. He wasn't an officer of any kind, but then again, Samesh had already recognized Chen's tactical acumen. This would be good training.

 _That, and I'm only a trooper while I'm Dispossessed,_ Chen reminded himself as the elevator reached the top floor. _Once I'm back in a 'Mech, things will be very... different._

He could still remember seeing his lancemates, the other Death Commando trainees, getting blown to hell against Davion forces along the Capellan-FedCom border.

That was then. This is now.

Chen was surprised; even though this was a field base, far from the Randilis Federation's capital city, the place was immaculate. No rusty metal walls or patchy repair jobs or exposed pipes, like in some other outposts Chen had visited. No, it almost looked like a palace, with soft carpet, smooth cream-colored walls, fine lighting, and even polished suits of medieval-style armor positioned against the walls.

"Looks more like an art museum," Chen blurted out.

Samesh snorted. "Yeah. And that's good news. Means the Mendez brothers can afford to pay us more. I might wring out a few more C-Bills from them before we lift off of Nueva Aragon."

 _That's right. I have to think in terms of contracts, money, deals... it's the mercenary life,_ Chen told himself as he and Samesh reached a pair of doors down the comfortable hall. _I'm still not used to it._

Chen could see what Samesh meant about crowds; the dimly-lit strategy room was packed. Half the people here wore olive-colored officer uniforms, with blue arm bands and a blue stripe on their hats. Everyone else, Chen presumed, were officers of the various mercenary bands the Mendez brothers had hired. And now, with Samesh here, the assembly was complete.

"Good. All here," a man around thirty said briskly as he turned on a large, wall-mounted screen. He had slicked-back brown hair and a pointed nose, and deep-set eyes that had a hard gleam. "I am Vincente Mendez. Please listen closely to what my brother and I have to say."

The man next to Vincente looked nearly identical, except his hair was shorter and stuck up straight. Probably Fernando Mendez. "We will take questions as we go," Fernando said. "We are flexible, and open to modifying our plan to suit everyone's needs and capabilities. Whatever is needed to drive the 12th Marik Hussars off Nueva Aragon, we will do."

 _Interesting. Tough, but adaptable. Not proudly stubborn,_ Chen noted with relief. Just the kind of client he liked.

"Refer to this map," Vincente said, pointing at the screen. It showed the Randilis continent, with its cities, military outposts, and troop movements clearly shown. "Right now, the continent's capital, New Port Castille, is well-defended by the Hussars. A frontal assault, even with all you mercenaries backing up Federation forces, is bound to fail. We have to draw the Hussars apart, but they aren't fools. We need to lure them away with something worthwhile."

"And before _that_ ," Fernando added, "we have to consolidate all loose assets on the continent. We will need you mercenaries for that job."

 _Loose assets?_ Chen wondered. He got his answer soon enough.

"Battlefield salvage is critical," Vincente explained. "We will not take back New Port Castille anytime soon. In the time between now and that final assault, we gather every scrap of metal, every bullet, every MIA personnel we can, from both sides. Or we will never take back our city. Fernando?"

Fernando nodded and pressed a button on his remote control. The screen changed to an aerial view from a helicopter, which casually flew over the forested hills and farmlands of the Randilis continent. "Already, battlefield salvage is out there, ripe and ready. It has been accumulating ever since the Hussars touched down, and we are ready to launch retrieval operations. Well-armed retrieval operations, that is."

Chen and the merc officers watched several screens of footage, all from VTOL cameras, displaying fallen BattleMechs, armored tanks, and a few crashed aerospace fighters. The trail of wreckage seemed to trail all the way to New Port Castille's city limits.

"We have kept the Hussars on their toes ever since they arrived," Vincente explained, "and did not give them time to collect all this salvage themselves. Now, with their push on this base blunted, we have an opportunity to do so ourselves. Lances and companies of Federation forces will form the backbone of the operation, and your mercenary outfits, based on their assets and tactics, will be assigned to various areas."

"At this point," Fernando announced, clasping his hands together, "we are open to tactical input. Where are you best suited? How can you fight? Remember that mobility is key."

Chen listened carefully as the mercenary officers coordinated with the Mendez brothers to outline the salvage operation. A group called Kate's Hornets, for example, had mainly aerospace and VTOL assets, and would handle salvage in a mountainous area. Two other groups with mainly infantry would fight in a forest, and a mixed forces company was assigned to fight near some ruined farmlands.

"We can fight here," Samesh finally said, indicating a spot on the continent map. "Jackson's Werewolves can handle anything your throw at it. Along that route, you're bound to draw the Hussars' attention, and they could attack with anything or everythin they have. Let us meet them."

Chen studied the map, then compared it to the total assets of Jackson's Werewolves: one 'Mech lance, two armored tank lances, one helicopter lance, and two platoons of mechanized infantry. He nodded; yes, Samesh had chosen the right spot, a major trade route that skirted the edge of a forest halfway between here and New Port Castille.

"Understood," Vincente said. "Jackson's Werewolves will escort a convoy of salvage trucks along that trade route, and we'll keep our satellite data on the area up-to-date whenever possible. I don't want you Werewolves walking into a kill zone."

 _Neither do I,_ Chen thought with a shiver. Samesh had made the right call... but indeed, that trade route was one of the biggest tactical features on the whole continent. It was used for land-based trade between New Port Castille and three other major cities, and countless towns and military outposts along the way. The 12th Marik Hussars were bound to have an interest in it, too.

Once the last merc band arranged its mission with the Mendez brothers, both Vincente and Fernando promised to send data packages to each merc band within 48 hours for final review. They wanted this done pronto, they said sternly, and every merc gang had to be ready to ship out. Some would even take DropShips, mainly _Leopard_ and _Gazelle_ class, to their faraway destinations. Jackson's Werewolves, for their part, would be temporarily gifted with a _Leopard_ and two _Gazelle_ DropShips to reach their destination, and the salvage trucks would arrive in their own DropShip, a _Fury_ class.

"I guess that's it, then," Samesh told Chen as they left the conference with the others. "What do you think, new guy?"

"Besides realizing we'll have our bare asses hanging out for the Mariks to shoot?" Chen said with a wry grin.

Samesh threw his head back and laughed. "Oh, Yeung, I was right to hire you. You're a straight talker, all right."

"I believe our _Warrior_ choppers could give us a much-needed set of eyes in the sky," Chen said. "But they risk taking AA fire up there, with the trade route being so high-priority."

Samesh's face fell. "So,,,?"

Chen took a deep breath. "The chopper crews might not like it... but I think we should do it. Especially on a high-paying job like this. Are they up to it, boss? You know them better than me."

Samesh clapped Chen on the back. "They are. And it turns out they're not, after all... we've got bigger problems."

"Got it."

*o*o*o*o*

 _ **City Hall, New Port Castille, Nueva Aragon**_

 _ **Sarna March, Federated Commonwealth**_

 _ **Februaray 26, 3041**_

"Colonel Sullivan! Sir!"

Colonel Raphael Sullivan reluctantly turned when Staff Sergeant Wilkes burst into the room. "What is it?" he boomed.

Staff Sergeant Wilkes saluted. "Colonel, an update from the field. Not only did the assault on the Federation outpost fail, but recent aerial recon suggests that the Federation forces, and their mercenary allies, are preparing to spread their forces across the continent within the next few days."

Sullivan narrowed his eyes and inhaled through his nose, his deep purple uniform creaking as his great chest expanded. "It would be just like those spiteful brothers to launch a counter-offensive so soon."

"S-sir... Tactical estimates that Federation forces are not yet moving to retake this city. They seem to have... many objectives."

"Such as what?" Sullivan leaned over the table and studied the map screens. He stroked his short, nearly-white beard. "None of these outposts would help them retake the city, not with my battalions against them... unless... no..."

The Staff Sergeant hesitated. "Colonel, I don't -"

"I can see it." Colonel Sullivan stood up straight and turned again, snorting in anger. "They're trying to draw my battalions apart to make the city vulnerable, and on top of that, they might be headed for every major battle site. They want the salvage."

Staff Sergant Wilkes stiffened. "I see. They could gain a logistical advantage."

"They _could_ ," Colonel Sullivan emphasized. He jabbed a thick finger on the maps. "See these three areas? The Castor Geyser Ridge, these cliffs, and the New Port Castille trade route... they're the most vital. I want companies mobilized to intercept and destroy enemy forces at those locations. Right away."

Staff Sergeant Wilkes saluted. "Yes, Colonel!" He sprinted out of the room.

Sullivan looked back at the maps one more time, his mind buzzing. With his balding head, short white beard, and barrel chest, he was sometimes nicknamed "Santa" among the top brass. The only presents he ever gave, however, came out of large-bore cannons.

 _Let those brothers try,_ Sullivan thought. _Let them come._


	6. Chapter 6

**Wherever the Universe Takes Me**

by Ulquiorra9000

 **Chapter 6**

 _ **Trade route, Randilis continent, Nueva Aragon**_

 _ **Sarna March, Federated Commonwealth**_

 _ **February 30, 3041**_

So far, so good. The Mendez brothers' promised DropShips ferried the whole Jackson's Werewolves unit to a discreet landing zone along the trade route that led to New Port Castille, and Samesh Jackson had a direct link to the brothers' intelligence staff. He wasn't the only one; all the mercenary units fighting for the Randilis Federation had access to the brothers' recon satellites, and Chen couldn't even imagine having that job, relaying all that data to each merc unit across hundreds of miles.

The Inner Sphere boasted some incredible people.

Chen checked his watch again: 15:44, right on schedule. He was in position with the rest of his platoon near the highway's edge, watching as the Werewolves escorted the Mendez brothers' salvage trucks. Chen had never seen such things before. Each truck massed at 50 tons, according to the specs Samesh had shared with him, and these beasts, though very thinly armored, could carrly many tons of BattleMech scrap in their beds. Loading arms and work crews could fit nearly anything back there.

Sentaro Tsuchakov, who temporarily led both platoons while Jimmy Nolan was recovering, checked in with his radio unit again. "Uh-huh... copy that." He lowered it. "Still no sign of the enemy, Werewolves. We've got the place to ourselves."

"Easy money," a trooper commented.

"Hey now, things could change in a flash," remarked the bulky sniper, Anthony Pubbles (he still couldn't stand his last name). "Ever seen how fast a Karnov can fly? Or a company of them? The Hussars could get a sizeable force over here before you know it."

"Not with our eyes in the sky," the trooper said with a shrug. "C'mon, there's hardly a thing blocking the satellites or the brothers' aerial recon units. Nothin' is gonna get within 50 kilometers of our asses unless they can teleport."

"How's that for LosTech," someone joked, and a few others laughed.

Chen grinned but kept silent. The scene was a little too quiet for his liking. Or maybe it was just nerves on his part. He had his JL-50 assault rifle held casually in his gloved hands, and he squinted as Nueva Aragon's sun poked out from behind a cloud to the southeast. Nearby, the supply trucks rumbled up to the fallen BattleMechs and parked in position, their crews already dismounting and shouting commands to each other.

Meanwhile, the Werewolves' 'Mech lance strolled in a wide circle around the scene, their shabby gray metal armor standing out against the pristine forest and grasslands. On a whim, Chen waved to the _Grasshopper_ when it was facing him, and to his amusement, the heavy 'Mech waved back.

 _That's Kathy,_ Chen thought as the _Grasshopper_ lowered its arm again and kept up the patrol. _Nicest girl I've met in a while._ She kept inviting him to drinking parties, but after the chaos and Samesh's rage at the first party's outcome, Chen was a little more wary. Well, maybe if he survived this Nueva Aragon contract, he could finally give her a yes.

"Imagine selling that junk on the market," a trooper commented, her eyes on the scrapped BattleMechs being loaded carefully into the trucks. "We wouldn't even need the brothers' contract fee!"

Another trooper snorted. "Like we could smuggle it off-world. Those brothers have eyes like a hawk. They'd flay us alive."

"Can it," Sentaro snapped. "The op's underway. This is a fine time for hostiles to make a move."

Everyone sobered up at the thought, and Chen doubled his vigilance as the salvage trucks kept up their work. But nothing came. Not even the Werewolves' lance of _Warrior_ helicopters spotted a thing from their lofty vantage point, and the two armor lances similarly came up empty. So, either the Hussars were _very_ patient, or they had better targets to chase after.

And sure enough -

"Tsuchakov here," the platoon commander said tightly when his radio unit gave a beep. His face hardened as he listened to the update. "Shit. Got it. I'll get the men moving and loaded up for action."

Sentaro lowered the unit and waved an arm. "Get your asses in gear, men! The Skull Bashers mercenary unit is calling for help, and no one else is free to back 'em up. That leaves it to us!"

"What the hell!" a trooper muttered as the squads hustled to the eight APCs' loading bays.

"Samesh got the orders straight from the Mendez brothers," Sentaro told him. "Aerial recon shows that no Hussars forces are close enough to attack this salvage site even if we're on the Skull Bashers' location. Our salvage teams are safe. Just move!"

Chen clenched his jaw as he took his seat in an APC and watched the loading door snap shut. It reassured him that this couldn't possibly be a diversionary tactic on the Hussars' part, but if things were getting this messy... and could the Werewolves reach the Skull Bashers in time?

"All assets are forming up," Sentaro told the men as the APC rumbled into action. "We're going straight into a war zone, men. Standard attack formation B once we unload! We're gonna face a lot of hostile forces, and the Skull Bashers don't stand a damned chance alone."

*o*o*o*o*

Chen felt the ground rumbling under his APC as the vehicle rolled into a live combat zone, and once again, he realized the advantage of 'Mech piloting: you can actually see everything from afar. In here, in the APC's troop bay, he was blind until he got boots on the ground... and that was an infantry's point of view. What kind of mess did the Skull Bashers get themselves into?

"Get ready to move!" Sentaro shouted over the roar of explosions outside. "On my mark!"

Once the APC skidded to a halt, Sentaro pressed the button to lower the bay door and motioned for everyone to deploy. Chen hustled down the ramp with the others, and right away, he heard the supersonic scream of aerospace fighters on the horizon.

 _No!_ Chen craned his head back and beheld four _Stingray_ heavy fighters strafe the battlefield, their large lasers and PPCs stabbing down at the besieged Skull Bashers forces. Although a large force, the Skull Bashers were nearly helpless against the onslaught.

"Tsuchakov here!" Sentaro barked into his radio unit when it alerted him. "...Yes, I know! I've got eyes on a lance of _Stingray_ s here. Well, tell the damn brothers to send their own aerospace assets to my position! My company's VTOLs won't stand a chance against those bastards... roger that. Tsuchakov out."

Sentaro motioned to the APCs. "One of the Mendez brothers' field commanders is sending relief against the aerospace attack. For now, get to cover, or you'll end up little ash marks on the ground. Move!"

Chen instinctively kept his head bowed as he hurried behind the protective hull of an APC. Now what? His weapons were no good against aerospace fighters! Nothing in Jackson's Werewolves could deal with this new threat. The Hussars' ground forces, a mix of infantry, armor, and two 'Mech lances, were bad enough. But with firepower from above?

Luckily for him, Chen didn't have to face the brunt of the _Stingray_ s' guns, but the other mercenaries did. The Skull Bashers had a lance of medium 'Mechs at the front line, including two _Vindicator_ s that sent up PPC beams and LRM 5 volleys at a high angle when the fighters came around for another pass. One PPC beam slashed at a _Stingray_ 's right wing, but otherwise, the 'Mechs could only shield their heads as the fighters lit up the air with PPC and large laser beams. One _Vindicator_ stumbled as combined beams cored its torso, punching clean through a molten hole. The hapless 45-tonner collapsed on its back, arms and legs sprawled.

 _Come on, Mendez brothers. Send us something!_ Chen prayed as the Hussars forces pressed their advantage. A lance of _Pegasus_ hover tanks, proudly painted in Marik colors, swept a wide arc around the battlefield and twisted their turrets to aim their many SRM tubes at a mercenary _Kintaro_. Chen winced as fifty warheads streaked through the air and swarmed the 'Mech like hornets, swallowing it up in fireballs from head to toe.

Although the _Kintaro_ was already scrap, the two _Bulldog_ tanks under Samesh's command rolled forward and trained their turrets on the nearest _Pegasus_ and fired. Two large laser beams flashed through the air and pierced the hover tank's left side, and eight SRMs roared into the wound. Internal explosions blasted the _Pegasus_ wide open, and the other three hover tanks beat a hasty reterat.

Until the _Stingray_ s returned.

"Shit!" Sentaro cursed as the fighters lit up the battlefield. This time, they blew one _Bulldog_ 's turret clean off with their combined PPCs, and Chen was sure that in the resulting flames, no one had survived. The other _Bulldog_ backed away and regrouped with the two _Goblin_ tanks in its lance, but it did little good. A hostile _Whitworth_ spat out twin LRM volleys that obliterated the _Bulldog_ 's right side treads and armor, and the medium 'Mech's medium lasers finished it off with impunity. Chen was sure the 'Mech's pilot was running hot, but the alpha strike did its job.

 _Is there nothing we can do?_ Chen held his JL-50 too tight as he watched the battle unfold. The BattleMechs of Jackson's Werewolves and the Skull Bashers did their best to keep the enemy forces at bay, and to their credit, a Hussars _Trebuchet_ went down and a _Zeus_ had its arms blown off. But once the _Stingray_ s made another pass, a _Dragon_ from the Skull Bashers' 'Mech company succumbed to enemy fire, and as Chen watched in horror, Kathy's _Grasshopper_ took autocannon shells and LRMs to the chest and head, and the 70-ton machine toppled face-down with a terrific _thud_.

"We gotta do something, commander!" a trooper cried, her face white with terror. "They're getting blown apart!"

"We need an opening," Sentaro told her over the battle's din. "Or we're easy targets. I don't see a good attack vector."

Chen studied the field, trying to determine blind spots in the cris-cross of both enemy and friendly fire. Indeed, he didn't see a thing. And overhead, the four _Stingray_ s found a new target. Confident that the battle was won, the four fighters broke off from the battle and descended upon the assembled salvage trucks. In a flash of fire, the vehicles' thin armor was vaporized, and the vehicles were lost.

"Dammit! The op failed," Sentaro cursed. "All that's left is to hold out until - _there_!"

At last, support had arrived. Eight _Hellcat_ fighters roared onto the scene, and their savage laser volley blew a _Stingray_ out of the sky. The fighter spun in wide circles as it fell, and it slashed a flaming path into a copse of trees, the metal wreckage skidding loudly on the ground.

The three remaining _Stingray_ s curved desperately through the air to meet this new threat and throw off the _Hellcat_ s' aim. For a moment, both groups of fighters twisted and looped through the sky, and two _Stingray_ s' PPCs converved on a _Hellcat_ 's left wing and blew it off, sending the fighter to the ground like the _Stingray_ earlier. But the _Hellcat_ s' arrival marked a turning point in the battle, and the _Stingray_ s broke off and raced off, their armor melted away.

Down on the ground, the Hussars forces drew back and launched a full retreat, taking and firing potshots as they went. Slowly, surely, the Skull Bashers and Werewolves held the field, until the Hussars were out of range of their guns.

 _I couldn't do a thing,_ Chen cursed as he advanced with the infantry squads to recover the wounded. He felt sick. _All this carnage, and I watched._

His day would surely come, when he mounted a BattleMech and could exercise his deadly training and skill on anyone who got in his way. One day.

For now, he hurried over to Kathy's fallen _Grasshopper_ and helped break open the 'Mech's mangled head. Kathy was found inside, still strapped to her command couch. Tentatively, Chen unfastened her and helped load her onto a stretcher.

"Kathy. Can you hear me?" he asked, his throat tight. "Come on, say something..."

Kathy blinked open her eyes. "Something. Good enough?"

Chen nearly laughed. "I didn't think you'd make it."

"Come on, Chen," Kathy said as two troopers carried her away with Chen following. "You think I'm done seeing everything the universe has to show me?"

Chen clenched his fists at his sides. "I know the feeling."

"Great. Now I need some painkillers real bad..."

Chen regrouped with his squad, while Sentaro was on the comm. "I can confirm the destruction of all salvage vehicles in the area," he was saying. "The op is a failure, but we control the area... right... understood."

"I got off the comm with Samesh," Sentaro told everyone. "Our own salvage team has completed its work, and we are to escort them to their DropShips, then take our own ships back to the brothers' HQ. There's nothing else we can do here. Prepare to move out."

Chen glanced over at the salvage trucks' ruins, which ironically could be salvaged themselves. Then he recalled Kathy's spirit and good humor despite her injuries, and he knew that this wasn't over yet. _I'll survive this contract no matter what happens here. And I'll get a 'Mech, whatever it takes._


	7. Chapter 7

**Wherever the Universe Takes Me**

by Ulquiorra9000

 **Chapter 7**

 _ **Medical Center, Mendez HQ, Nueva Aragon**_

 _ **Sarna March, Federated Commonwealth**_

 _ **March 2, 3041**_

Chen hadn't suffered any battlefield injuries during the Mendez brothers' salvage operation, but that made him one of the lucky ones. In fact, one of the smaller mercenary gangs, Brett's Bumblebees, was wiped out to the last man while fighting at the Lancha Alvarros mountains. And Kate's Hornets had lost most of its VTOLs, meaning it was reduced to just a a small handful of fighters and helicopters for future ops.

Jackson's Werewolves had lost some men to the 12th Marik Hussars, but at least Kathy Bliss, one of the MechWarriors, had turned the corner and was happy to have Chen has a visitor that evening.

"Everyone else already came by to see me, Chen," she said brightly as Chen sat by her bedside in the four-story hospital. "Where have you been?"

"Tactical stuff with Samesh and the brothers," Chen explained a little meekly. "Sorry. I meant to come by earlier."

"That's all right, hon," Kathy said. "Really. The pain's getting better, and I might be battle-worthy in a month or so, maybe three weeks. Not bad, huh?"

"You're a tough one, Kathy," Chen agreed. He fell silent, unsure where to go from here. The words felt struck in his throat.

Kathy smoothed her cream-colored blanket. "So, does that mean you finally got a chance to meet Peter? I bet you did."

Chen blinked in surprise. "How'd you know?"

"I just figured. What d'you think of him?"

"Besides he's brilliant?" Chen made an amused sound. "He knows his stuff. Not the most sociable type, though."

"He's just like that," Kathy said. "About three years back, in the summer of '38, Samesh's old chief analyst quit to get a better position in a planetary militia near Canopian space. So, Samesh was panicking, saying how the Werewolves were gonna fall apart and we'd go broke without someone to handle the data and logistics of the crew."

Chen nodded. "I can picture it now."

"Peter was actually unemployed and about to get kicked out of his apartment on New Vandenburg," Kathy told him. "Poor guy. He had lost his old job and couldn't get another."

"I didn't realize he's Taurian."

"Yup."

Chen tilted his head. "Hmmmm... if you don't mind me asking, what was the problem?"

"Oh, according to his old data firm, he didn't play well with others," Kathy said, her eyes glittering with amusement. "That's what his grouchy old boss said, but we know better. Peter's such a darling. He'd never harm a fly, but he's stubborn and really set in his ways. Doesn't do well with authority. He's gotta make his own rules."

"Peter must have been thrilled, joining a crew that goes anywhere it wants," Chen noted. _It has its ups and downs._

Kathy nodded as best her injuries allowed. "Yeah, pretty much. It didn't take us long to find him, either, searching the civilian channels of Taurian space. He stood out among his peers, but it took awhile to talk him into joining."

"Wait, you said that he was happy to join Jackson's Werewolves."

"I mean..." Kathy glanced up. "He was stubborn at first, and scared to leave the only city he'd ever lived in. Set in his ways, remember? He'd take evening walks, always the same route, and stop by the same food cart and buy the same snack. He even nicknamed some of the natural features along the route, like they were friends of his."

Chen thought back to his own civilian days in Zhijong City, back on the world Capella. Indeed, a couple of his classmates in high school had been like that, favoring narrow career fields and interests over socializing or dating. He never got a chance to see how they ended up, but maybe they were experts at data firms like Peter Andrews had been.

"Samesh talked him into joining up after a few days," Kathy went on. "He liked to stay in the data processing room and keep the lights low, and he always played Tchaikovsky to soothe the nerves, y'know, to get used to his new job."

"He was playing it when I met him," Chen commented. "I didn't recognize the song, though."

Kathy smiled. "Yeah, he's got a handful of playlists he sticks to. How'd you like him?"

"He's... right for the job," Chen said carefully.

"is there a 'but'?"

"N-no!" Chen blurted. "No, just..."

"It's okay. Just teasing."

"Right." Chen shrugged. 'I'm not sure what he thought of me. Or anyone, actually. He only talked about his work, and the current contract, and some potential contracts within a few jumps in any direction."

"That's just how he is. It's how he thrives," Kathy said. "He's a happy guy." She gave Chen a funny look. "Like someone else I know."

Chen raised his eyebrows. "Who, me?"

"I mean, you want a 'Mech so badly, don't you?" Kathy said. "That's what's driving you. It's all you can think about."

"Huh? I mean, I have my own problems..." Chen fought for the words. "I'm fine. Don't worry about me. I have my own things to think about -"

"Take my _Grasshopper_."

Chen stared. "What?"  
"Just for the rest of the contract," Kathy added. "I mean, I want it back when I've healed. But it'll be fixed up before I am, and you're a spare MechWarrior. Take the reins."

"But I can't..." Chen held a hand over his heart. "Every 'Mech is dear to its owner. It's like I broke into your house and ate all the food, or..."

Kathy burst out laughing. "Oh, please. It's not like that. And your analogies are junk."

"Sorry, I'm not the most imaginative fellow."

"Chen." Kathy steeled her eyes. "I know how badly you want to pilot a 'Mech. Simpods ain't the same. Get your hands dirty with mine, and we'll all try and buy you a light or medium 'Mech by the end of the year. I want you to feel the old thrill again."

Chen swallowed. "Kathy..."

"You were in the Death Commandos last year, weren't you?" Kathy said. "Don't tell me you wanna be a PBI for the rest of your years."

"A what?"

"That's what the Davions call troopers: Poor Bloody Infantry. They get stepped on, roasted, stuck in mud, blown up in their APCs..."

"Hey, _I_ ride in an APC."

"Yeah. Wouldn't a _Grasshopper_ feel better?"

Chen cracked a wary grin. "You're serious, aren't you?"

"Sure am."

"What would Samesh think?"

"Depends on how well you do in practice."

"Good point." Chen held his knees tightly. "If you're sure about this, then I humbly accept your 'Mech. But suppose I make an error in battle, and it couldn't be salvaged? I'd feel terrible."

"Then you better not get my _Grasshopper_ busted that bad, Chen. What's with the self-doubt? I thought you were a Death Commando, a big bad scary MechWarrior."

"Well..." Chen shrugged. "I was in a trial-run company. The real Death Commandos were all gone, so the Strategios assigned CCAF officers to hand-pick candidates to rebuild the unit, and that included me. But we were wiped out fighting the Davions."

As he said it, Chen recalled that Kathy herself was born in the FedCom's Crucis March, a Davion girl to the bone. At least, she used to be. Some part of Chen wanted to think the universe was playing a mean joke on him, a Davion helping him after the AFFC destroyed everything he knew.

His new mercenary life was more pragmatic than _that_.

Chen stood and saluted. "I gratefully accept your _Grasshopper_ for this contract. I swear I will return it to you unblemished, Kathy."

"Thanks, darling." Kathy smiled again. "Oh, you'll need the security clearance to pilot it, too. Memorize it, 'cause I don't wanna write it down and have someone see it."

"Oh, right. Of course." BattleMechs, being expensive private property in many cases, had security questions built into the main computer, and a wrong answer would lock down the whole machine.

"The question is: which came first, the chicken or the egg? And the answer is 'omelettes.'"

Chen stared at her, then burst out laughing. "I never would have guessed!"

"I like to put a little fun into things," Kathy said with a chuckle. "Now go and brush up in the simpods, Chen. I want you sharp when you pilot my _Grasshopper_."

"I will. Thank you." Chen bid her goodbye, and made his way out of the hospital and to the repair bay, where he watched the technicians finished patching up the towering _Grasshopper_. He watched for hours.

*o*o*o*o*

 _ **Fields, Nueva Aragon**_

 _ **Sarna March, Federated Commonwealth**_

 _ **March 8, 3041**_

 _"Which came first, the chicken or the egg?"_

Chen suppressed an amused grin as he cleared his throat. "Omelettes."

 _"Password accepted."_

The computerized voice cut off, and around him, Chen felt the newly-repaired _Grasshopper_ humming with energy. The 12-meter metal giant stood alone in a field near the Randilis Federation's HQ, and a few Federation VTOLs made wide arcs nearby to watch for enemy activity. Vincente and Fernando Mendez were a little reluctant to show too much activity to the enemy, but Samesh talked them into it. This would mean one more MechWarrior fighting for the Randilis Federation's liberation.

Anyway...

"Looking good, Chen," came Samesh's voice on the comm. "Now, do some laps, and try a zig-zag pattern to get the feel for it. Test the weight."

"You want to make sure the techs did a good repair job, right?"

"Yeah, that too. But I want to make sure you're comfortable in a heavy 'Mech. By what you've told me, you've never piloted something this heavy before."

"That's right. In the CCAF, my 'Mech was a _Vindicator_."

"Right. Now, get moving, MechWarrior Yeung."

Chen eased the throttle forward and nearly gasped when 70 tons of metal lurched forward with a heavy footstep. The _Grasshopper_ creaked and groaned around him due to age, but it held together head to toe. It took another step, and another. Chen set the throttle to an easy 54.6 kph and cut a curving path around the field, trampling wild prairie grasses underneath. Chen felt a thrill in his stomach at the lurching movement, like riding an oversized camel.

"Not bad," Samesh's voice said. "Pick up the pace when you're ready, and do some turning."

"Roger that." Chen set the throttle to its maximum 64,8, and he grinned widely as the _Grasshopper_ bound across the field, its arms pumping to keep balance. The neurohelmet felt heavy on Chen's head, but it was a familiar and welcome weight, like a crown of power.

 _Just don't get carried away,_ Chen scolded himself as he did the zig-zag patterns on cue. _You were fallen in combat inside a BattleMech, and it can happen again._

Still, Chen decided that this was his best day in over a year, and it felt like a homecoming to ride this mount. Better yet, Samesh decided that live-fire was in order, and Chen sprinted over to a copse of trees for target practice. "I won't start a wildfire, will I?" Chen asked.

"The patrol VTOLs have fire-control sprays mounted in them," Samesh said dismissively. "Now test those guns."

"It will be my pleasure." Chen slowed to a trot and aimed at the nearest tree, lining up his crosshairs like he'd practiced thousands of times at the Capella War College years ago. He squeezed the trigger.

With a mighty hum, the _Grasshopper_ spat out a thick red energy beam from its center torso, and the beam sliced the tree into two smoking halves.

"Clean shot, Chen," Samesh said. He could monitor things through the VTOLs' cameras, and Chen could tell that the man was very pleased. "Try the mediums. Volley fire."

One by one, Chen dished out medium laser bolts from the torso and arms, and once again, he cut trees right in half, the beams scoring exact hits against the tree trunks.

"Whew. That's some tight shooting," Samesh said. "Where did you train, again?"

"The Capella War College."

"No shit. My own battle school wasn't nothin' fancy like that. Now, keep shooting. Show me your sustain. And throw in some missiles for variety."

"I copy." Chen paced back and forth, forcing himself to compensate for the _Grasshopper_ 's movements. Better to get used to that now, than against the 12th Marik Hussars at New Port Castille.

It was ten minutes later when Samesh called for a cease-fire. "How was I?" Chen asked as he watched his heat gauge go from orange to yellow to green. Those 22 heat sinks worked fast.

"I can say 'hell of a good job' in six languages," Samesh said. "But I'll spare you that. Let's just say that I'm gonna prioritize purchasing a 'Mech for you if I can get enough solid contracts."

"You'd do that for me?"

"Hell, Chen, I'd sell my right arm if I didn't need it so bad," Samesh said with a light laugh. "I sure as shit need you strapped into a cockpit. You move and aim well. Maybe I can get you a _Phoenix Hawk_ or one of those fancy _Wolfhound_ s."

"A what?"

"Never seen a _Wolfhound_?" Samesh sounded surprised. "They fought brilliantly in the Fourth Succession War and the War of 3039. Kell Hounds used it to good effect. There's a few floating around in the markets. Maybe I can get my hands on one."

"If it isn't too expensive."

Samesh laughed. "Ever so humble, Chen. Look, this is all in the future, anyway. Bottom line is, I _need_ your ass in a 'Mech by this time next year, and we're gonna make it happen. Get me?"

"I do."

"Good. Now get back to the 'Mech bay and power down. It's nearly time for lunch."

"I just love the taste of field rations." Chen couldn't help a goofy grin as he trotted back to the HQ in high spirits.

"If we get enough payout, I'll get us steaks. How's _that_ sound?"

"Like something worth fighting for."


	8. Chapter 8

**Wherever the Universe Takes Me**

by Ulquiorra9000

 **Chapter 8**

 _ **City limits, Nueva Aragon**_

 _ **Sarna March, Federated Commonwealth**_

 _ **March 17, 3041**_

"Samesh, are we going to take the Mendez brothers up on their offer?" Chen asked once again as Jackson's Werewolves stepped off their rented DropShip near New Port Castille for the final assault. Around the Werewolves, a handful of other mercenary gangs also deployed from DropShips of various sizes, plus the Randilis Federation's own army.

Samesh waited a second before answering. "Probably not, but if Peter can find a good opportunity for us, I'll consider it. For now, I'd rather do things by the book and finish our original contract."

"Affirmative." Chen recalled Vincente and Fernando's bonus offer for each mercenary gang: hunt down and capture a cabal of traitors who were strongly believed to have sold out the planet's security to the 12th Marik Hussars. Chen could hardly have believed it when he first heard it from the brothers, but they were positive that a treasonous group received unknown favors or goods from the FWLM command in exchange for data or even stolen DropShips that allowed the Hussars to touch down on Nueva Aragon at strategic locations. The reward was substantial, but so was the risk. Who knew what was out there? The cabal may or may not even still be on Nueva Aragon!

That was for the brothers to worry about. For now, Chen was more interested in flexing his borrowed _Grasshopper_ 's arms and legs, based on Kathy's advice to "warm the old girl up before heaving fighting." Being at least as old as the opening shots of the Second Succession War, this creaky old heavy 'Mech needed some warm-ups first.

And now, it was time.

"Assault battalion, move up to sector 4D-8.3," came the voice of the Federation army's commander, Major-General Raul Bertillo. He spoke on the general assault force comm, channel 125.6. Jackson's Werewolves, meanwhile, had their own channel, plus the channel for mercenaries in general. Chen and the rest of the Werewolves watched, standing on a bare hill as the Federation's battalion advanced toward New Port Castille, all guns primed to fire. It had two BattleMech companies and a mixed company of armored tanks and infantry, all in uniform.

Next, two mercenary gangs moved up to reinforce the Federation's battalion, and the three groups formed the main assault force. Meanwhile, Jackon's Werewolves and two more gangs formed flank group Alpha, and three other gangs formed flank group Beta, each essential to the brothers' plan. The Hussars were waiting for them. Nothing less than this would do.

"Move up," Samesh's voice ordered on the Werewolves' private channel. "That's it. Nice and easy. Eyes open, warriors."

"Copy that." Chen pushed his _Grasshopper_ to 68.4 kph, keeping in a tight diamond formation with the other three BattleMechs. Down by his 'Mech's ankles, Chen watched the eight APCs wheeling along, plus the lance of _Manticore_ tanks and the _Goblin_ and _Bulldog_ that had survived the salvage operation. No sounds of battle yet; the Hussars were clearly a patient bunch.

"Main force in position," came Major General Bertillo's taut voice. "Flank groups: confirm position and readiness."

"Ready," came a voice on the general comm, from group Beta.

"Ready," said the pilot of the _Shadow Hawk_ in Chen's lance, a feisty MechWarrior named Brigitte Anders. Chen had rarely talked to her before, but now, they were equals. At least for now. The _Panther_ and the _Trebuchet_ in Chen's lance also looked primed and ready to let the fur fly.

"Confirmed," came the Major General's voice. "On my mark, assault team... GO!"

Even from here, Chen could hear a stampede BattleMechs break into a reckless sprint for the city's limits, headed right for the center. They wouldn't actually fight all the way to the city hall's front steps; the Hussars would, no doubt, intercept them first. And the Mendez brothers didn't want to tear up their capital city anyway.

This time, Chen heard the sounds of battle. A lot of them.

"Heavy resistance!" came a Federation 'Mech commander's voice. "Armor, need backup on my position now!"

"On it!"

That was the tank commander, and Chen knew that the heavy and assault armored tanks were rolling into position to back up their bipedal comrades in the thick of action. Chen heard the sharp bark of autocannon rounds, the rippling detonations of missile volleys, and the hum of countless medium and large lasers, plus the odd crackling PPC beam.

Over the comm, Chen confirmed that flank group Beta was sprinting into position, and the group's long-range guns were already firing on the numerically superior 12th Marik Hussars. Any second now...

"GO!" Samesh roared on the private channel.

Chen felt a thrill in his stomach as she shoved his _Grasshopper_ 's controls into overdrive. The 70-tonner creaked and groaned angrily as he broke into a run with the rest of the Werewolves, and the other two merc gangs were close by on either side. As expected, Chen's battle computer received data from the brothers' orbital tracker satellites, mapping out the entire battle from here. Chen couldn't get a weapons lock on every enemy unit from his position, but he knew where they were, and where every ally stood.

Flank group Beta was already knee-deep in the action, and based on comm reports, Beta was dealing some serious damage, and Chen grinned as he heard the mercenaries whooping and shouting in delight and fury as they opened fire. Major-General Bertillo didn't even try to shut them up; he was busy keeping the main assault force together, and Chen saw on his battle computer that things were going their way. The Hussars would surely yield -

"Trap! It's a damned trap!" A mercenary commander in flank group Beta roared his warning just before his 'Mech, an _Awesome_ , vanished suddenly on Chen's computer reading.

 _He's right. This isn't good!_ Chen stared grimly at his screen as the Hussars shifted their formation in such a way to allow more firepower to come to bear, and at strategic angles. Flank group Beta, which had cut into the Hussras like a knife, was being crushed, and the main attack force was in no position to back them up. Which left...

"Flanking group Alpha! Move to these coordinates to take the pressure off us!" Major-General Bertillo commanded. "Beta is in no position to cover our flank. It falls to you."

Brigitte's _Shadow Hawk_ did a salute. "Understood, Major-General. Samesh, you hear that?"

"I sure did," Samesh said tensely on the comm. "Move it, Werewolves. But watch your asses, or you'll go the same way as Beta."

Chen kept his _Grasshopper_ at a steady clip as he jogged to the designated coordinates, the rest of the Werewolves staying in rigid formation around him. Overhead, the Werewolves' four _Warrior_ VTOLs roared past in their own formation, their autocannon 2 guns and SRM 4 launchers primed to fire.

By habit, Chen felt the wooden charm on his corded necklace, the one with "Little dragon" carved in Mandarin, as a loving gift from MechWarrior Mei Hanfan. She had died on the field of battle. She wouldn't Chen to go the same way.

 _I'm getting off this damned planet alive._

Just as Chen arrived at the coordinates with his fellows, his battle computer showed a turn for the worse. The 12th Marik Hussars, originally in blocky formations, had spread themselves across the battlefield, and flanking group Beta had been decimated, with only a few ragged surviving 'Mechs and tanks still firing. Beta's tactical role was long since blunted, and the Federation's assault formation was feeling the heat. Marik assault 'Mechs led the way, with _Awesome_ s, _Zeus_ es, and a few _King Crab_ s dominating the battlefield and marching fearlessly to meet the Federation attackers.

"Look out!" a _Warrior_ pilot cried. Flights of LRMs arced across the battlefield, and Chen threw up his _Grasshopper_ 's hands to shield its face as hundreds of explosions swallowed up his surroundings. His damage display showed minimal damage, but an APC disappeared from the fire, and a few 'Mechs from the other merc gangs in Chen's flank group succumbed as well. The very ground trembled from the combined detonations.

"Shit! They've got a whole fire-support company firing on this position!" the _Warrior_ pilot cried. "I'm seeing four _Whitworth_ s, six _Trebuchet_ s, and two _Catapult_ s down there. Armor assets and Inferno infantry squads are covering them."

Chen knew that if flanking group Alpha didn't relieve the Federation's assault force, the battle was as good as lost, and the Hussars would probably wipe out all resistance on the Randilis continent inside a week. Beta was in tatters. The Hussars could fire anywhere on the battlefield with impunity. What were Jackson's Werewolves supposed to do?!

 _Breathe._ Chen forced himself to relax. _Panic won't win you this battle. Remember what you learned at the Capella War College, the classics on war that you studied... the CCAF doesn't put cowards in BattleMechs._

That was a common saying in Liao space, and even in the mercenary life, Chen made sure he never forgot it.

A lance each of enemy 'Mechs and tanks broke from the Marik formations and moved in to finish off flanking group Alpha. Lasers and autocannon shells pounded Chen's group, and Chen knew that any second now, the fire support company would send up another devastating volley. There was only one thing to do, and Samesh knew it, too.

"Spread out!" the Werewolves' CO commanded. "Don't let the LRMs take you out. Outmaneuver this combined assault! Brigitte, focus on that 'Mech lance. Don't worry, Chen can handle that _Grasshopper_. Put him to work."

"Got it, chief!" Brigitte's _Shadow Hawk_ pointed at an enemy TDR-5S _Thunderbolt_. "Take it out, new guy! We've got our hands full."

Chen saw her point. The six surviving tanks of Jackson's Werewolves were locked in deadly combat with the Marik vehicles, and Brigitte and the others dueled the other hostile 'Mechs. Brigitte moved well, evading enemy fire and whittling down her opponents with sustained fire. Cool under fire. Exactly what the Werewolves needed.

 _Show me what you can do_. Chen bared his teeth and locked his crosshairs on the enemy _Thunderbolt_ from 370 meters away. He pressed the firing button, and his _Grasshopper_ flashed its deadly large laser from the well-armored center torso. The _Thunderbolt_ flinched as the laser melted armor from its right shoulder, near the cockpit.

The 65-tonner responded in kind, and its large laser drilled right into Chen's left thigh, the hellish beam threatening to breach the armor. Luckily, the beam exhausted its energy and a few layers of armor were left.

Chen's luck didn't hold out. The _Thunderbolt_ carried a cylindrical LRM 15 on its left shoulder, and a flight of warheads erupted from the launcher. Missiles peppered Chen's _Grasshopper_ , and his console blared a warning as three missiles hit his damaged thigh and hit the myomer muscles inside.

 _A critical hit!_ Chen moved his _Grasshopper_ to the right and fought the controls, willing his 70-ton 'Mech to stay stable. Despite the myomer damage, Chen kept control, but he knew that any more leg damage could send him face-first into the dirt.

Chen closed the distance between him and the _Thunderbolt_ , and he released a flight of LRMs. All five missiles pounded the _Thunderbolt_ 's torso, but that was just a ruse. Chen's four medium lasers, the instant they were in range, all focused on the _Thunderbolt_ 's left torso, carving deep, glowing trenches into the armor plating.

The _Thunderbolt_ 's pilot, clearly aggravated, fired his large laser again, but this time, the beam swept through empty air, as did two follow-up medium lasers. This gave Chen a few seconds to let his _Grasshopper_ cool down, and he fired his large laser right at his opponent's LRM 15 launcher. The launcher's armor boiled away and Chen saw the launcher tubes melt and warp out of shape, knocking the launcher out of action. But there was no sign of an internal ammo explosion.

 _Wait. The 5S has its ammo in the center torso!_ Chen remembered this fact just as the _Thunderbolt_ 's three medium lasers converged on his right shoulder. Chen winced as another warning went off, this time reporting that the shoulder actuator was fused together. The right arm was locked in place, and Chen would have trouble aiming its medium laser. And he'd never land a decent punch with that arm.

Clearly a cocky one, the _Thunderbolt_ 's pilot spat out another large laser, and the beam grazed Chen's left torso. Any second now, the _Thunderbolt_ pilot might just fire his mediums again and land a serious blow. Without the LRM 15 firing, the 'Mech had some maneuvering room for heat buildup, after all.

 _No. It's not over yet._ Chen feinted a lunge to the right, then sprinted at a sharp angle forward and to the left, and he let out a whoop of relief as the aggressive _Thunderbolt_ sent three medium laser beams into the empty air where the _Grasshopper_ should have gone. Instead, Chen got up close and personal, and he was right on top of the _Thunderbolt_ before the pilot could register Chen's reckless plan.

The _Grasshopper_ 's right arm was busted, but not the left. Chen drew back his 'Mech's fist and sent it deep into the _Thunderbolt_ 's center torso, and the _Grasshopper_ creaked and groaned from the strain as Chen kept pushing its knuckles into sheer armor. Possibly Kathy had never pushed her machine this hard before. Chen resolved to apologize later.

For now, Chen finally withdrew his fist, opening the fingers so they could grab and tear off a loose armor plate in the process. Smoke coiled from the wounded _Thunderbolt_ 's chest as the center torso was exposed, and without hesitation, Chen fed his large laser and two mediums into the breach.

 _B-B-B-BOOM!_ Rapid-fire explosions engulfed the _Thunderbolt_ as Chen's lasers burrowed through the remaining armor and torched the LRM warheads inside. At the last second, Chen slammed his feet on his 'Mech's pedals and flew clear on his jump jets, and even inside his cockpit, he felt a wave of heat wash around his _Grasshopper_.

Chen winced as his 'Mech landed on its legs, the left thigh creaking horribly. _Better take it easy, or I'll lose function in the whole leg!_ Chen tapped into the comm. "Brigitte, he's down."

"No kidding, new guy!" Brigitte said with amusement. "Back us up. Samesh and Peter are working on a plan to get us out of this mess and turn the battle around. Think you can help?"

Chen nodded and got his _Grasshopper_ moving. "What do you think I'm here for?"


	9. Chapter 9

**Wherever the Universe Takes Me**

by Ulquiorra9000

 **Chapter 9**

 _ **City limits, Nueva Aragon**_

 _ **Sarna March, Federated Commonwealth**_

 _ **March 17, 3041  
**_

Both Samesh and Peter Andrews needed time to formulate a winning game plan, but out here at the city limits, Chen wasn't sure that the Mendez brothers' assault force had time to give them. The Randilis Federation forces fought like the impeccable pros they were, holding formation and firing on optimal targets for max results. But not even that, with mercenary backup, would hold back the 12th Marik Hussars' counter-attack forever. The sheer weight of the Marik force was asserting itself harder by the minute, and Chen felt time running out.

Meanwhile, Brigitte tapped into the general comm. "Major-General Bertillo, what's the status of flanking group Beta?"

"Not good, MechWarrior," came the Major-General's grim voice. "The survivors are pulling back. It's keeping them alive, but without their role in the battle, the front line is getting out of control. What can you do over there, Alpha?"

Brigitte took a few seconds to answer. "We can hit the Mariks on their weakest flank. Here, at sector 12-A," Brigitte told him.

"Understood," Bertillo said. "Move out, and Godspeed, Alpha."

Chen checked his cockpit's tactical display, and he saw Brigitte's planned attack mapped out in red lines and circles on the 2-D battlefield. At once, he saw her wisdom in the attack: the Hussars would be hard-pressed to defend that flank, and it would certainly disrupt the Hussars' counter-attack to some extent.

"Good call, MechWarrior Anders," Samesh's voice said on flanking group Alpha's comm. "Move out! Get me those results!"

"Yes, sir!" Brigitte waved her _Shadow Hawk_ 's arm to rally her lance. "On me, Werewolves! It's time to save the day!"

"Hell yeah!" the other two MechWarriors cried.

Chen shoved his _Grasshopper_ 's throttle nearly to the max, and the creaking 70-ton 'Mech jogged to keep up with the _Shadow Hawk_ , _Panther_ , and _Trebuchet_ of his lance, besides the armored vehicles and _Warrior_ helicopters. The other merc gangs in flanking group Alpha kept pace, their own 'Mechs and tanks in loose formation.

Then Chen looked up and felt his stomach clench. The Mendez brothers were _definitely_ out of time.

"Shit!" Brigitte cursed as a handful of LRMs leaped through the air and pounded her 'Mech's center torso. Flakes of armor flew away as the _Shadow Hawk_ reeled from the unexpected impact.

"We're taking fire!" cried a nearby MechWarrior. He shielded his _Commando_ 's face with its hands.

Chen saw why; the 12th Marik Hussars had spread themselves all over the battlefield in lances and companies, taking total control of the battle's flow. This included potshots from fire-support lances, like the ones that were now suppressing flanking group Alpha.

 _Oh, no..._ Chen checked his tactical display and confirmed the worst: Brigitte's planned attack had already vanished, since the Mariks were moving so far and wide. There was no single, easy attack vector to disrupt the Hussars' counter-attack.

"Dammit!" Chen bared his teeth as a PPC beam, then a flight of LRMs, converged on his _Grasshopper_ 's chest and left hip. He felt a thrill of vertigo as the gyro overloaded and the 'Mech pitched forward like a drunk. Panicking, Chen adjusted his joysticks, and he thrust out his _Grasshopper_ 's arms just in time, and the 'Mech fell awkwardly to its hand and knees.

"Chen! Are you okay?" Brigitte yelped on the comm.

Chen grunted. "Never felt better."

"Need a hand?"

"On this leg? I'll take it."

Chen held up his _Grasshopper_ 's right hand and accepted the _Shadow Hawk_ 's left, and the smaller 'Mech helped Chen get to his feet. Just in time; more LRM and PPC volleys came their way, and the Werewolves and other assorted mercenaries scattered to avoid the worst of it.

"This is bullshit," the commander of a Werewolves _Manticore_ cursed. "If we don't do somethin', the battle's lost. But there's no opening in their defenses."

"Wait a minute..." Chen scaled a hill and lowered himself to the other side and crouched, keeping himself clear of enemy fire.

The _Panther_ in Chen's lance followed him. "Chen where are you going?" the pilot demanded.

"Let me see..." Chen hunched over his tactical display, his mind rapidly absorbing the data it showed.

A memory from the Capella War College came to mind. Back then, the senior tactical instructor, Lieutenant Yua Heifang, had taught more than one lesson about a situation like this. Although a soft-spoken and oddly motherly type, the woman had a tactical mind like no one else.

 _"A final push is only tactically correct when, not if, it fulfills its role,"_ the Lieutenant had said in that classroom. _"The mere act of all-out aggression does not justify it. Battles have been lost because an intended knock-out blow ran out of power before its conclusion, which led the aggressors more vulnerable to a counter-attack than if they had not attempted it."_

Then, the Lieutenant showed some photos on the digital chalkboard. _"Spring, 1918, Terra. The first global-scale war was well underway, and the German Empire, fueled with reinforcements returning from the eastern front, massed for a colossal push into what was then France. Large and rapid gains were made, and the French fled... until the British and American forces took advantage of the German's exhaustion. The grand assault, despite its gains, had failed, and the German Empire found itself on a desperate defense until the armistice in November of that year. Then, moving ahead a few decades..."_

The Lieutenant had more examples in her lecture, but they all said the same thing. Chen smiled grimly to himself. _Took me long enough to remember that._

He tapped into the Jackson's Werewolves comm channel. "Commander! This is MechWarrior Yeung."

Samesh's voice responded at once. "I read you, Yeung. What is it?"

"Commander, relay this data to Peter. I think I see a way out of this. It's risky, but it could work, and I'll need Peter's brains to make it happen."

The line was silent for a few tense seconds. "I'm counting on you, Chen," he said. "Pass me that data."

*o*o*o*o*

 _ **City HQ, Nueva Aragon**_

 _ **Sarna March, Federated Commonwealth**_

 _ **March 17, 3041**_

Coloenel Raphael Sullivan, commander of the 12th Marik Hussars, had his hands clasped behind his back as he watched out the wall-spanning window of his command tower. He didn't need a digital screen to see the Mendez brothers' foolish assault crumble. Besides, it was more satisfying, this way, to see the results of his superiority. Columns of smoke were easily visible from here, all over the rolling hills outside New Port Castille's city limits.

 _A celebration feast is in order._

"Colonel! Sir!"

Once again, Staff Sergeant Wilkes felt the need to burst into the room out of breath, and the man actually wiped his brow.

Sullivan huffed in impatience and turned around. "What the hell is it?"

Wilkes saluted. "Colonel, tactical sent this update. You've got to see it." He held out a computer tablet.

 _This better be good._ Colonel Sullivan yanked the tablet from the Staff Sergeant's hands and scanned its contents. His eyes narrowed and his heart raced in indignant anger.

"S-sir?" the foppish Staff Sergeant prompted.

Sullivan typed some commands into the tablet and thrust it hard into Wilkes' chest. "Get those forces back in formation!" he snapped. "Those mercenary rats are trying something. I won't give them the chance. The details are already entered. Get that thing straight back to tactical! Now!"

"Yes, Colonel!" Staff Sergeant Wilkes gripped the tablet and hurried out of the room.

Frowning, Sullivan turned back to the window. Maybe he'd have to play it by ear whether he should hire any caterers for a celebration feast.

*o*o*o*o*

 _ **City limits, Nueva Aragon**_

 _ **Sarna March, Federated Commonwealth**_

 _ **March 17, 3041**_

Chen actually found himself panting for breath after an hour of this improvised battle plan, and he wasn't just sweating from the heat in his cockpit, either. But even so, he could feel his and Peter's plan working, inch by agonizing inch.

No way could the Randilis Federation's assault force defeat the 12th Marik Hussars mano-a-mano at this point, not with the double-flank plan foiled. Instead, the entire assault force dispersed across the battlefield in lances and companies, weaving through ruined 'Mechs and tanks and columns of smoke and fire. Now the Hussars found themselves facing a similar enemy, one that was now even more slippery than them. And Peter, back at the brothers' field HQ surrounded by computers and maps, orchestrated the whole thing.

"Werewolves, flank right, then fall back!" Samesh said on the comm, relaying another of Peter's rapid-fire orders. "Engage for six seconds!"

"Copy that!" Brigitte Anders cried. Her _Shadow Hawk_ led the Werewolves' 'Mech and tank forces over a hill, and her shoulder-mounted AC 5 blasted fire. Her explosive shells slammed into a hostile _Enforcer_ 's shoulder, and the 50-tonner halted and whirled to face its aggressor. The 'Mech's AC 10 spat out ten shells in a deadly stream, but Brigitte was already moving, and the projectiles hissed through empty air. Then, Brigitte's LRMs detonated on the _Enforcer_ 's chest, and Chen took this chance to add his large laser to Brigitte's firepower. The thick beam cored through the _Enforcer_ 's remaining armor and exposed the innards.

Before anyone could knock out the _Enforcer_ , however, the rest of its lance caught up. A _Whitworth_ released twin LRM volleys, and half the ordinance peppered the _Trebuchet_ in Chen's lance. A second later, a hostile _Wolverine_ blasted armor off a _Manticore_ in Chen's group, and the injured tank rolled back on its treads.

"Fall back! Move it!" Samesh ordered.

At once, Chen got his wounded _Grasshopper_ moving, amazed at the old 'Mech's endurance. Despite its age and wounded thigh, the 'Mech kept moving, and Jackson's Werewolves kept the Hussars off-balance and frustrated. And it wasn't just them; the entire assault force kept up a fluid, confusing pattern of attacks and retreats, often isolating Marik forces and overwhelming them. And the whole while, groups like the Werewolves got deeper behind enemy lines, toward the real prize.

The enemy commanders.

"We're almost there!" Brigitte told her weary fellows. Her _Shadow Hawk_ ducked to evade incoming LRMs, then stood up again. "Wait for the orders!"

The orders couldn't come soon enough, Chen thought. One big mistake, and this entire operation would fail and the Hussars would win the day. Only through a tightly-controlled counter-counter-offensive could the Federation forces wear down the Hussars and gain the advantage, despite being outnumbered. Any minute now...

Samesh's eager voice popped back into the comm. "Brigitte! Move your forces to sector 31-E, then northwest to 41-F! A company of Federation forces will support your flank and trap the enemy commanders. Go!"

"Copy that! Let's go, Werewolves!" Brigitte whooped. "On me!"

Chen braced himself while the others filled the comm with bloodthirsty cries. He knew what to expect, and sure enough, after the Werewolves darted through the battlefield and confronted the Hussars' command 'Mechs, he found himself face-to-face with heavies and assaults.

At least the enemy forces were caught unawares. Four 'Mechs, each with a gold diamond painted on their upper right chest, took a few alarmed steps back, and their guards were too slow to intercept the Werewolves in time. And just as promised, a company of Federation 'Mechs arrived from the other flank, engaging all Marik forces between them and the command 'Mechs. This bought the Werewolves just one chance to strike.

"Designating targets!" Brigitte announced on the comm. "Go!"

Chen, and the _Panther_ on his lance, were assigned a brawny _Cyclops_ , a 90-ton beast with a bulky chest, hard-hitting fists, and a protective cowl around its one-eyed head. Chen took one look at the famous autocannon 20 muzzle on its right torso and knew that this would be a tricky one.

The _Panther_ wasted no time. Its MechWarrior pushed the light 'Mech to its max speed and wove its way around the much bigger _Cyclops_ , and it raised its arm and released a vivid blue PPC beam.

The beam connected as hoped, chewing armor from the bigger 'Mech's left torso. But while lightly armored for an assault chassis, the _Cyclops_ took the PPC in stride and lined up its guns to return fire. Each wrist's medium laser melted armor off the _Panther_ 's chest, and four SRMs from the _Cyclops_ ' chest exploded along the _Panther_ 's left arm and shoulder. The smaller 'Mech staggered, leaving it exposed.

 _No!_ Chen could see that the _Cyclops_ pilot, despite being a battlefield commander, had a bloodthirsty edge and intended to knock out the staggering _Panther_ with its mammoth AC 20. No doubt that cannon would shear the _Panther_ in half.

Chen didn't like the _Panther_ 's haste, but he had to admire the pilot's guts, and he hurried forth. He placed his crosshairs on the _Cyclops_ ' head and neck, and the instant he got a lock, he released his head-mounted LRMs.

He was just in time. The five missiles converged on the _Cyclops_ ' cowled head and exploded, and while the cowl protected the cockpit from the worst it, the MechWarrior was obviously overwhelmed, and he jerked his 'Mech back protectively. This threw off his aim, and when his autocannon 20 blasted its deadly payload, the twenty shells raged through empty air, well clear of the injured _Panther_.

"Good shot," the _Panther_ 's pilot said. "Cover me. I'll wear him down."

"I should do it," Chen said at once. "I'm hurt, but I've got more armor, and I have more firepower."

"Yeah, you do," the pilot said smugly, "but I know just what to do. Cover me, MechWarrior Yeung."

Chen frowned. "That _Cyclops_ nearly killed you."

"He got lucky. Now _cover me_. Have a little faith."

Chen didn't have time to argue. Once the smoke cleared, the _Cyclops_ was back in action, and it was in no mood to play. The huge 'Mech raised its arms and unloaded its medium lasers and SRMs, headed right for the _Panther_ 's heart.

The smaller 'Mech was already moving, and the lasers and SRMs blasted a charred hole into the hillside behind the _Panther_. Going at a healthy sprint, the _Panther_ wove an erratic pattern around the towering _Cyclops_ , and it unleashed another PPC beam. This time, the beam nailed the _Cyclops_ ' right shoulder, the sheer heat fusing the joint together, not unlike Chen's own right shoulder. Aggravated, the _Cyclops_ turned to return fire, but recoiled as the _Panther_ 's SRM 4 peppered its chest with warheads.

"Go, Chen!" the _Panther_ 's pilot hollered.

Right on cue, Chen stepped foward and pierced the _Cyclops_ with a laser battery. A medium laser punished the assault 'Mech's thigh, while two more mediums boiled away armor on its torso. Finally, Chen's large laser gouged a glowing cut into the _Cyclops_ ' left shoulder, and the loss of armor threw the _Cyclops_ off balance. The huge 'Mech spread its arms wide to keep balanced while the _Panther_ kept running in circles around it, cooling off for another shot.

The _Cyclops_ ' deadly autocannon 20 roared fire.

 _Shit! He tricked me!_ Chen felt like a leaf in a hurricane as the ballistic volley savaged the right side of his _Grasshopper_. He twisted just in time; his partly-disable right arm took the brunt of the attack, and the shells easily ate away the remaining armor and shredded the myomers and metal bones alike. Chen's displays flashed red and an alarm wailed as the arm fully came loose.

Unlike the under-handed _Cyclops_ pilot, Chen really was off-balance, and he felt a thrill of terror as the assault 'Mech lined up its other weapons to finish him off. The _Cyclops_ didn't have the same firepower as most assaults, but it had enough to knock out an injured _Grasshopper_. The _Cyclops_ braced itself for a steady shot -

"Hey! Over here!" The _Panther_ 's pilot kicked the _Cyclops_ ' right knee, and the bigger 'Mech buckled awkwardly. Just in time; its SRMs and medium lasers fired wildly off-target, buying Chen some time.

The _Panther_ wasn't done, however. As Chen watched in awe, the brave little 'Mech extended its PPC muzzle and pressed it head-to-head with the _Cyclops_ ' mammoth autocannon 20 muzzle.

It fired.

"Whoa!" Chen's _Grasshopper_ activated light-shielding systems on the cockpit glass once the PPC beam lit up like a firework. In such close confines, PPCs were known to be inaccurate, but not when pressed against a target. The _Cyclops_ reeled as its autocannon 20 was vaporized from the inside, and its armor bulged out and smoke leaked from between the plates. SRMs from the _Panther_ 's chest pounded the _Cyclops_ ' left knee for good measure.

"Good. Let me finish him!" Chen stepped forward to deliver a knock-out blow, and he already had his crosshairs lining up on the _Cyclops_ ' wounded chest.

The _Cyclops_ groaned and creaked like an angry beast as it crouched and pounced on the _Panther_.

Despite its bulk, the _Cyclops_ moved with astonishing speed. It seized the _Panther_ 's head with both hands, and promptly crushed it to scrap.

 _I don't believe it..._ Chen's heart froze as the _Cyclops_ parted its hands and let the decapitated _Panther_ crumple to the grass. Was this thing unkillable? Was he next? He felt paralyzed as the _Cyclops_ advanced on him, arms extended to fire its lasers.

The _Cyclops_ jerked back as autocannon shells peppered it from head to toe. It craned its head up to watch the four _Warrior_ VTOLs of Jackson's Werewolves soar past overhead, their gun muzzles smoking.

"Looks like you all need some help," one of the pilots said on the comm.

"But the _Panther_ -" Chen started.

"We came as fast as we could. I'm sorry."

"...copy that." Chen bared his teeth and pushed his _Grasshopper_ as fast as it could go. He didn't stop until he confronted the _Cyclops_ head-on and raised his left fist.

He thrust his _Grasshopper_ 's fist right into the _Cyclops_ ' face.

Chen bared his teeth as the sheer impact shuddered his 'Mech, rattling the old machine from head to toe. But as expected, the _Cyclops_ fared worse. Chen's tactical display showed the head's total destruction, including the cockpit. Once Chen drew his fist back, the _Cyclops_ pitched backwards and sprawled on its back, defeated t last.

"Dammit..." Chen let out a shaky breath and tapped into the comm. "Brigitte, target down. But we lost our _Panther_."

"Understood," came Brigitte's tense voice. "Good work, MechWarrior Yeung. Fall back; you're on your last legs. We've got this handled."

That they did. Chen retreated to a safe distance with the four _Warrior_ s guarding him, and Jackson's Werewolves and their allies finished off the Marik Hussars' command lance. Now, without those 'Mechs and their advanced battle computers, the 12th Marik Hussars fell apart. And once their formations grew loose and disconnected, the Mendez brothers' army, commanded by Peter's razor-sharp-mind, took them apart piecemeal. It wasn't long before the remaining Hussars raised their arms in surrender, and the battlefield fell silent.

"Okay. Now that was tough," Brigitte said on the comm. Her _Shadow Hawk_ surveyed the scene. "Everyone report in."

"MechWarrior Yeung here," Chen said. "Sustained heavy damage, but I can stand."

Everyone else chimed in, and it was gathered that the _Panther_ had fallen along with a _Manticore_ and a _Bulldog_ from the Werewolves' armored tank lances, along with sixteen infantry and four APCs. Chen, for his part, was clear to merely stand guard while Brigitte and the other field commanders handled the surrender and got everything organized. Emergency rescue vehicles were on their way from New Port Castille to take away the wounded and injured, and already, some of the Randilis Federation forces were marching on the city to capture the enemy commander's HQ.

"Fantastic work, Werewolves," Samesh said smugly on the comm. "We're getting paid our weight in gold for this, I promise you that. And the Mendez brothers said that they've got a lead on finding the cell of traitors who sold out the Federation's security to the Hussars. I guess everyone's happy." He chuckled. "And if Vincente and Fernando are in a good mood, I could talk 'em into giving us a little extra for our blood, sweat, and tears."

"They better," Brigitte said darkly. "We lost some good men out here, Samesh. Our _Panther_... I can't believe it."

"We're alive, and we'll move on," Samesh said briskly. "Just keep the clean-up operation smooth with the other commanders."

"Roger that."

"Oh, and Chen," Samesh added.

"Yes?"

"Not bad, putting heads together with Peter like that. He liked the way you think. Keep it up, and you might double as a tactical officer one of these days. I could use more brains in this outfit."

Chen made a weary smile. "Thank you, sir. But Kathy's gonna kill me when she sees what kind of condition her _Grasshopper_ is in."

"Our pay will cover the repair bills easily," Samesh said dismissively. "You're alive, and you have some solid experience under your belt. Worry about your skills, and I'll handle the rest."

"Of course." Chen cut the comm and glanced at Brigitte's _Shadow Hawk_. He couldn't blame her for feeling shaken, after what the Werewolves just went through. Samesh just wanted the money and a good review in the MRB, signed by Vincente and Fernando Mendez. It was only business, of course... though Chen still wondered if Samesh could at least show a scrap of grief.

But that wasn't Chen's business, was it?


	10. Chapter 10

**Wherever the Universe Takes Me**

by Ulquiorra9000

 **Chapter 10**

 _ **Downtown, New Port Castille, Nueva Aragon**_

 _ **Sarna March, Federated Commonwealth**_

 _ **March 20, 3041**_

It took three days of constant, thorough patrols before Vincente and Fernando Mendez were confident that no threats to the Randilis Federation remained on Nueva Aragon, and once the last of the 12th Marik Hussars were guided off-world and back to Free Worlds League space, things finally settled down.

In a manner of speaking.

"Who's the baddest? We're the baddest!"

Cheers erupted in Big Miguel's Bar and Grill that evening in the city's trendy downtown, and Chen raised his glass as Anthony Pubbles, sniper elite, raised his own Manhattan to Jackson's Werewolves honor. "Bad to the bone!" someone said.

"Badder than bad!" Anthony cried. "Let's hear it, Werewolves!"

Everyone tilted their heads back and made cheesy wolf-like howls, and they downed their fifth round of drinks. Some of the other patrons, fellow mercenaries, had a good laugh at the Werewolves' apparent drinking tradition. Even Chen, his head buzzing with drink, joined the howling. His old Colonel back in the CCAF would kick his ass all the way around Sian if he heard Chen doing _that_.

Anthony drank and wiped his mouth. "Damn, thought we were gonna get snuffed a few times back there," he said to the animated crowd around him. "I swear all their bullets had my name on 'em."

"I think they saved a few for me," a man said, wincing as he rubbed his shoulder.

"Naw, I'm a wide and easy target. They were after _me_ ," Anthony said, motioning for another drink. "I get all the attention. Ain't always a blessing."

"Tell you what," another trooper said, finishing his beer. "Make it worth my while, and I'll take a few of them bullets for you."

Anthony grinned. "What's your price?"

"Well... can't say _that_ in polite company," the man said, and everyone roared with laughter.

"Look! The game's back on!" a trooper from Jimmy Nolan's platoon said, pointing at the flat-screen TV over the bar.

Brigitte Anders, downing her sixth beer, shook her head. "Dumbass. Bullfighting is a spectator art, not just a sport."

"Eh, what's the difference?"

"Why don't you find out?" Brigitte grinned wide. "I know how people do it in this part of space."

Chen watched, too. On the screen, several men in stylish, traditional outfits entered the arena, and a brawny black bull was waiting for them. Chen didn't understand the announcer's rapid Spanish, but he knew what was coming next.

Once the bull got into furious motion, the _cuadrilla_ , or matador-led team, advanced, and the matador, a man labeled as Carlos Esquilla, prepared a three-foot-long baton that crackled at the end: a stunner rod.

The fight was less a sport, as Brigitte was saying, and more a spectator art, as Chen expected. He marveled at the team's coordinated movements against the rampaging bull, and the matador landed several blows on the beast, driving it closer to submission.

"Are they gonna kill that bull?" a techie wondered, frowning.

"No, they stun it," a trooper told him. "I've been on this planet a few times. Animal rights groups lobbied hard to ban the killing of bulls on Nueva Aragon, but if you ask me, the sport's still a thrill to watch."

"It's an _art_ , guys," Brigitte snapped. "Honestly."

The crowd cheered as the matador landed a daring and astonishing blow on the bull, and the beast staggered, then fell over, its chest heaving as it panted for breath.

 _Okay, I've lost interest._ Chen knew that this crowd would stay here all night like this, so Chen ordered a beer to go and brought it with him to the curb outside, where he hailed a cab. He gave the driver directions to the military hospital, and fifteen minutes later, went inside and took the elevator to the third floor. In room 307, he found Kathy sitting upright in her bed, watching the local news on the wall-mounted TV.

"Chen!" Kathy beamed when her friend stepped inside, and she lowered the TV's volume. "I didn't expect..."

"Fancy a beer?" Chen offered the drink with a meek return smile.

Kathy made a false stern face. "I don't think that's allowed."

"Will _you_ allow it?"

"I will. Thanks." Kathy accepted the drink, popped off the lid, and tried it. She made a face. "Not really my brand."

"Sorry." Chen took a seat next to her, hunched forward, hands clasped in his lap. "You're looking much better."

"Yeah." Kathy took another drink and winced again. "I'll be ready to board our DropShip when we lift off the day after tomorrow. The doctors said that I'm strong like a horse. They've got no idea."

Chen shared a chuckle with her, then sobered. "I couldn't save him."

"Your - well, our lancemate?" Kathy made a sympathetic noise. "I was allowed to view the BattleROM. There wasn't a damn thing you could have done."

"Kathy -"

"Stop it." Kathy pointed at Chen with her half-empty beer. "This is the life you signed up for, Chen. It's not like the CCAF or AFFC, where some wannabe heroes risk their own lives to bail out a lancemate in the face of fire. We watch each other's back, but the contract comes first. And you can always hire a new buddy."

"I..." Chen swallowed. "I know that you're right. But to feel it..."

Kathy made the same sympathetic noise and set her beer aside. "I know. It's not easy for me, either. And it's not like I don't care. Every time we lose a PBI or a MechWarrior or VTOL pilot, it's a person's life that's gone. All their childhood memories, their future plans, hell, their favorite breakfast... _whoosh._ Gone."

"Did you replace anyone, Kathy?"

Kathy looked down. "Yeah. Samesh started the Werewolves with a different lance. There was this older man, Bert, who piloted a _Rifleman_ like the devil himself. But that didn't stop him from eating a few artillery rounds that turned him into a crater on a world we left behind. I never met him, but I took his place in the 'Mech lance, and Samesh never looked back. I don't think he _can_ look back."

"He's a pro to the end, I gather."

"Yeah. Maybe a bit much." Kathy looked up at him with a gentle expression. "But not you, Chen. You've got perspective. Maybe it's what they taught you in the CCAF, but you totally understand what you're doing, and what it costs you."

Chen swallowed. "In a manner of speaking."

"It's not a mercenary's job to care about the lives of others, whoever he saves or kills," Kathy said in a choked voice. "I've fought by that creed for years. But why does it feel so _right_ to meet someone who cares anyway?"

"We'd better not tell Samesh."

"Yeah, let's not." Kathy made an embarrassed chuckle. "Maybe it's the painkillers making me loopy, but dammit, Chen, I feel like you bring out the best in me. Sometimes, I'm just a hired gun cruising the stars. Well, I _am_. But is it selfish..." She gripped her blanket's edge and looked him in the eyes. "Am I wrong to wish that we lived a normal life, and I could get to know you away from battlefields and contracts and 'Mech repair bays? A-am I too selfish to think that I'd rather have a different life and forget Samesh and Peter and the others?"

"I..." Chen's heart raced and he fought to get the words out. He'd gotten to know all the Werewolves over the last few weeks, and he felt himself drawn to Kathy most of all, with her quick smile and boundless spirit and take-no-nonsense bravado. To be alone here, with her, while the raucous Werewolves and other mercenaries were soaking up New Port Castille's nightlife...

"Oh, forget I said anything," Kathy said bitterly, staring at the wall. "I don't know what I was thinking."

"No, no," Chen hurried to say. "The stress of combat... anyone would need a break sometimes. The best of us get shell-shocked sooner or later."

"It's not that," Kathy said, shaking her head. "I _was_ being selfish, holed up in a hospital bed with too much time to think..."

"What do you mean?"

Kathy gave him a weary smile. "You still think about her, don't you? Your old lancemate from the Death Commando trainee company?"

Chen felt his gut clench. So that was it. "I... can't forget her," he admitted.

"I know." Kathy nodded vaguely. "And it's okay. I understand."

Chen had no idea what to say. He fell back on a safe response. "Thank you."

"Thanks for coming by, Chen. I'll be fine on my own. I'll see you on the DropShip."

"I will. Have a good night." Chen rose, robot-like, from his seat and exited the hospital, making his way to the temporary barracks the city governor had given the Werewolves to stay in.

 _Why am I like this?_ Chen fumed as he navigated the crowded sidewalks, passing under bright signs for coffee shops and computer stores. He watched his feet as he went, his mind racing. He barely noticed when he bumped right into someone.

 _"¡Oye! Ten cuidado, idiota!"_ the man barked at him, glaring.

Chen snapped something rude back in Mandarin, then instantly regretted it. Not because the local man understood him, but because Chen thought venting on a stranger made him somehow better.

The man moved on, and Chen kicked aside a loose beer can on the sidewalk in frustration as he moved on, running his hands over his short hair. _Why, why do I feel like this?_ He doubted getting another drink at Big Miguel's would fix anything. Maybe some more fresh air?

He walked aimlessly well into the busy night.

*o*o*o*o*

 _ **'Mech hangar, Federation Base of Operations, Nueva Aragon**_

 _ **Sarna March, Federated Commonwealth**_

 _ **March 22, 3041**_

"There's one more thing to handle before we lift off and rendezvous with a JumpShip," Samesh Jackson said as he led his MechWarriors into the 'Mech hangar bay. Around them, Federation forces were busy getting ready to move back to New Port Castille, and the armored tanks of Jackson's Werewolves were rolling past, headed for the DropShip _Lancelot_.

Samesh stopped before the _Panther_ , which was already repaired, and had a new head installed onto its neck. He gestured grandly. "Chen, this _Panther_ is now yours."

The others clapped while Chen stared in awe at the 35-tonner towering above him, from the muzzle and pointed ears on its head to the huge PPC welded onto its right forearm. "This... is my 'Mech now?"

"Exactly, my man." Samesh clapped Chen on the back. "Your Dispossessed days are behind you for good. I'm down a MechWarrior, and you fit the bill. Welcome to the 'Mech lance."

"He needs a callsign," Brigitte said eagerly. "He fought well at New Port Castille. He punched out a _Cyclops_ ' head and knocked the whole thing flat."

"I saw the BattleROM," Samesh said, nodding. "What a slugger you are, Chen. Up close and personal. And you tore into a _Thunderbolt_ like the Devil. From now on, we'll call you... Scrappy."

"Hell yeah, Scrappy," the _Trebuchet_ 's pilot, a man named Herb Einsbach, said as he clapped a hand on Chen's shoulder. "Welcome to the lance. You made it here in style."

"Thank you." Chen's eyes met Kathy's, and she returned the look before she awkwardly looked away, going pink in the face. Chen looked away, too. His fellow MechWarrior needed some space, he was sure.

"Too bad there's no time to take it out for a walk," Samesh said. "Sorry, Scrappy. You'll try it out in the simpod 'till we land our next contract."

"I understand," Chen said humbly.

"Damn straight. No time to rest, warriors," Samesh said, clapping his hands together. "Get your machines onto the _Lancelot_. We're done here on Nueva Aragon. I hope you tried out all the exotic drinks and women in New Port Castille you could handle, because we're gonna go far and wide to find solid contracts. Time to get back to work."

"Let's move it, people," Brigitte said, heading to her waiting _Shadow Hawk_. "You too, Scrappy. I want us loaded up in five minutes."

"Copy that," Chen said, hurrying to his brand-new _Panther_. So much had changed since he landed here on Nueva Aragon. It seemed a lifetime ago he rode in an APC, assault rifle in hand, watching 'Mechs tower over him. Now he was back in the saddle for good, and it felt so right. And a new nickname... _Scrappy_. He said the name in his mind, and decided it was a little cheesy, but fit just fine.

He was glad to get back on the _Lancelot_ and rest in his room as the DropShip fired up its engines and left Nueva Aragon far behind.


	11. Chapter 11

**Wherever the Universe Takes Me**

by Ulquiorra9000

 **Chapter 11**

 _ **Arid Wastes, Rockball V**_

 _ **Oberon Confederation**_

 _ **April 15, 3042**_

"Okay. Do it again, lance. I know you can pull this off."

Brigitte Anders' _Shadow Hawk_ easily sprinted across the rough terrain as Rockball V's huge yellow sun set on the horizon, painting everything dramatic shades of orange. The medium 'Mech leaped over boulders and used short jump jet bursts to scale bigger obstacles, fluid and graceful.

"Affirmative," Chen said from his _Panther_ 's cockpit, trying not to show his fatigue. This world, with its wild terrain and sparse population, was popular for light-years around as a training field, and Chen could tell why. Weeks of drills and learning new techniques wore his nerves thin, but the results were clear: a lance that fought like never before.

Chen took a deep breath, then formed up with Herb's _Trebuchet_ and Kathy's _Grasshopper_ as Brigitte assumed her place at the lead. The patterns were perfectly clear in Chen's head, and once Brigitte got moving, Chen pushed his _Panther_ 's throttle to a full sprint and lined up his crosshairs on a boulder that his computer marked as an _Enforcer_.

Chen carved a wide arc with his lance and fired his PPC, the blue beam vivid in the dying sunlight. The boulder's top third was blasted clean off, the rest glowing white-hot. Meanwhile, Herb spat out twin LRM 15 volleys that blasted the rock into chunks that sprayed everywhere.

There was another target: a boulder marked as a _Dragon_. Brigitte harassed the 'Mech with her long-range firepower, and Kathy's LRMs and large laser added to the barrage.

"Scatter and aggravate!" Brigitte barked on the comm. "Go!"

At once, Chen broke from his lancemates as they went in different directions, and he vaulted over an unmarked boulder and twisted his _Panther_ 's torso to keep a bead on the wounded _Dragon_ -boulder. This was one of Brigitte's techniques for the 'Mech lance: focus fire on one target and take it out, then allow the aggravated survivors on the enemy lance to hastily chase down the scattering Werewolves. It threw the enemy off their game, or so Brigitte said, by taking advantage of a warrior's burning need to get an eye for an eye. Herb wisely noted that it would work best against Kuritan troops, who favored one-on-one honor duels and who were known for their hot samurai blood.

Chen could imagine the faux _Dragon_ firing wildly, trying to decide who to shoot. Then he got a surprise: another boulder assumed the label _Thunderbolt-_ 5S, and no doubt it was also trying to avenge the _Enforcer_.

For a training exercise, at least, it worked. Brigitte kept his lance moving in a disorienting web of patterns, dragging the enemies into a tiring hunt, unable to get the advantage over the Werewolves. Her lance whittled down the _Dragon_ to the bare bones, and Kathy's daring laser barrage finished it. Before long, the _Thunderbolt_ joined it, and Brigitte brought her _Shadow Hawk_ to a halt.

"I think that'll do it, team," she said. "We're done for today."

There were weary sighs of relief on the comm. "I could use a shower," Herb commented.

"Yeah, I can smell you from here," Kathy teased.

"What was that?"

"When do we begin tomorrow?" Chen asked as he watched his heat gauge go from orange to yellow back to green.

"Since you asked," Brigitte said slyly, "let's say 0530 hours tomorrow."

Everyone groaned. "You just had to ask, Scrappy," Herb muttered.

"I need a good work ethic on this lance," Brigitte said sternly. "Honestly."

Samesh popped into the comm before anyone could argue. "Back to the DropShip, lance," he said. "We're lifting off. Time to find contracts at the capital."

"So much for crack-of-dawn training," Herb commented.

"Can it," Brigitte said. "Head for the DropShip. Let's see what the boss can find for us..."

*o*o*o*o*

 _ **Hiring Hall, Oberon VI**_

 _ **Oberon Confederation**_

 _ **April 17, 3042**_

"I feel ridiculous," Kathy muttered as she, Chen, and the other major Werewolves officers and presentatives stepped through the hiring hall's front lobby.

"At least you've got company," Chen muttered back. Oberon VI was just a jump away from Rockball V, but even then, Samesh had acted with great haste to get the Werewolves into the hiring hall to find a contract. But with one caveat: wear the dress uniforms he personally designed.

Chen had worn dress uniforms before, but not like this, or in a place like the grimy Periphery. Samesh's idea of a dress uniform was a brown jacket and pants, polished black boots with gold buckles, a red beret, a ceremonial saber, and gold pocket watches on a thin chain.

No one knew how much Samesh had spent on these uniforms. But he snapped at anyone who questioned them or pried about the Werewolves' budget.

"Welcome, Jackson's Werewolves," said a man once the group entered his huge office on the ground floor. He wasn't the Confederation's boss, Hendrick Grimm III, but he probably reporte to the man, and looked thuggish enough for the part. His balding head, tattoos, powerful arms, and dirty vest and heavy boots marked him as a typical Periphery tough guy, the type the Inner Spheroids dismissed as uncivilized outcasts.

"Greetings," Samesh said. "I am Samesh Jackson, CO of Jackson's Werewolves. With me are my MechWarriors and two officers of my intelligence unit."

"Right, right," the man said. "I'm James Calloway, representative of King Hendrick Grimm III, and chief mercenary liaison officer."

 _As I thought,_ Chen noted.

"Of course," James continued, "we've got some standard procedures for newcomers like you lot to go through."

"Of course," Samesh said politely. "We are prepared to -"

"First, the operations fee," James said with a nasty smile.

Samesh froze. "I beg your pardon?"

"What, no one told you?" James taunted him. "King Grimm III is raising the Confederation to noble status in the eyes of the Inner Sphere. We're lookin' for legitimacy, we are. And that costs us money." His grin widened. "Every mercenary unit 'round here pays a fee to operate in Oberon space. The weekly rate is..."

He named a figure that made Samesh clench his fists by his sides.

"And on top of that," James added as the Werewolves looked at each other in shock, "a team, led by me, will inspect your crew and equipment to ensure no dirty tricks or threats."

Samesh bared his teeth. "Is this a farce?"

"A what?"

"Some trick," Samesh growled. "Or are you lacking in hospitality?"

James snorted and shook his head. "We're not the yokels you assume we are, asshole. We of the Confed take our security seriously! Terrorists and slavers have posed as mercenary gangs before. You pay the inspection fee, and we'll clear you for service in the Confederation once we look everything over."

Samesh ground his teeth. "This is an outrage!"

"What, they don't take mercenaries seriously in the cushy Inner Sphere?" James mocked him. "We know what kind of damage a mercenary squad can do, 'specially to a small nation like mine. Pay up."

Samesh forcefully waved a dismissive hand. "I don't have to take this. Keep your contracts! We're leaving!"

He spun on his heel and motioned for his crew to head out. As they went, James spoke up. "Good luck finding any other work, Werewolves. And if you do anything to anger the king, well... there's plenty of room in hell for you."

Samesh didn't respond, but instead slammed the door shut.

*o*o*o*o*

 _ **New Star research lab, Tungere**_

 _ **Periphery**_

 _ **April 18, 3042**_

"I said don't move, asshole." A bandit trooper slammed the butt of his rifle against a man's temple, and the victim slumped to the tiled floor.

Dr. Susan O'Reilly, chief of the bio-engineering here at New Star's research lab, winced as she saw blood leak from the poor man's temple. He was one of the security guards... now one of many hostages here in the research lab. This world, Tungere, had no professional army, not even a mercenary gang to protect it... making it perfect prey for these thugs. And now, they had a huge ransom opportunity to make.

Carefully, so the bandit troopers wouldn't notice her, Susan typed into her mobile comm behind her back as she sat against the wall with the other captives, praying that her distress call would reach sympathetic ears somewhere, somehow. Here, holed up at the main lab in the building, she saw no hope in sight. And she could imagine the trooper squads. many helicopters, and BattleMech company patrolling outside to deter the local militia. That militia couldn't handle them, anyway, or even a force half this size.

Susan felt her comm vibrate to signal that her message had been sent. She was tapped into the militia's emergency comm frequencies, and from there, the militia could beg for help for light-years around. Assuming anyone wanted to come to the rescue.

A trooper spat. "There better not be any more trouble, or we're gonna start cutting off heads next. Anyone wanna go first? Don't lose your head, now." He chuckled darkly as he waved his rifle's muzzle around. Men and women in white lab coats cowered where they sat.

Susan didn't cower, but instead sat comfortably against the wall, confident that someone would intervene. Hendrick Grimm III claimed that he was putting the Oberon Confederation on the path of legitimacy... but what merit did that claim have when his troops captured a civilian lab and held it hostage at gunpoint?


	12. Chapter 12

**Wherever the Universe Takes Me**

by Ulquiorra9000

 **Chapter 12**

 _ **DropShip**_ **Horned Serpent** _ **, system transit**_

 _ **Periphery**_

 _ **April 19, 3042**_

Chen was just settling down in his cramped bunk to read an old paperback novel when his private comm beeped, summoning him to the meeting room three decks above him.

"What's this all about?" Chen asked as he stepped into the crowded meeting room, but Samesh didn't even have to answer. A distress call was already playing on the biggest screen, showing a man in drab olive-colored fatigues speaking urgently.

 _"I repeat, this is the Tungere planetary militia,"_ the man said, his eyes pleading. _"Confederation forces landed planet-side and are holding up the New Star research facility for ransom. They have made outrageous demands that the planetary government is refusing. But we do not have the military strength needed to handle the hostage situation. They have..."_

The man looked off-screen and accepted a few papers from someone, and he read them. _"The Oberon forces have a company of light and medium BattleMechs, plus infantry and VTOL support. Anyone who can help us will be generously rewarded: cash, hardware, anything they ask for that Tungere and nearby friendly systems can offer. Please... we need you."_

The message cut out, and the Werewolves started babbling questions.

"Quiet!" Samesh roared. "I went over this distress call with Peter and the intelligence crew, and they assure me that it's genuine, and not a trap. I realize that we were en route to Lyran space to find new contracts... but I can't ignore this."

"Going soft, Samesh?" Brigitte teased.

Samesh ground his teeth. "It's not that. The Oberon Confederation ain't no friend of ours. And the desperate pay like crazy. We're doing it."

More questions erupted, and Chen stood near the crowd's rear, frowning. It sounded like a dicey mission, being outnumbered so badly... and what if the Oberon forces threatened to slaughter the civilian hostages?

"The Tungere system is close," Samesh said. "We can jump there and the _Horned Serpent_ can land planetside by May 1st. From there, it's boots on the ground and eyes on the prize! This is our first gig in Periphery space. Let's show those backwards dirtbags how we do things."

There was still some concerned muttering, but the officers were nodding and giving the affirmative. Chen merely shrugged at this point. If Jackson's Werewolves were bound to do this, he'd have to be ready.

"I need everyone focused and ready by the time we reach Tungere," Samesh said sharply. "Hit the simpods, MechWarriors. In the meantime, I'll soon receive planetary data on Tungere so Peter and I can formulate a general strategy against a numerically superior enemy force. Whatever those Oberon bastards throw at us, we'll be two steps ahead! Dismissed!"

*o*o*o*o*

Chen's _Vindicator_ marched across Bianjiang's rain-slick countryside en route to the objective, with his lancemates close by. The Death Commando trainee company kept tight formation, ready for whatever the St. Ives goons had in store for them.

"We're so lucky, Chen," Mei Hanfan said brightly in her _Shadow Hawk_. "I can't believe it... we're making history."

"Ain't anyone who can be a Death Commando," Red said. "Come on, Chen. How come you're so quiet?"

"I'm fine," Chen said automatically. "Where's the target area?"

"Right up ahead," Jin said. "If we hurry, we can -"

Shells whistled through the air, and the whole world erupted in red and orange flame, and a great rumbling shock wave threw Chen back in his seat. He shielded his _Vindicator_ 's face with its mismatched hands and crouched to brace his 'Mech, but it was no good. Everyone was gone, vaporized by enemy fire, and his _Vindicator_ and body alike were turning to ash, Chen's scream drowned out by the roaring flames -

"Chen."

"What the...?" Chen blinked. He stood in near-perfect darkness, except for a spotlight shining down on him. He looked up and squinted at the brightness. Where was it coming from?

 _"Chen."_

The voice, a woman's, grew more insistent, and Chen looked back down to find Mei Hanfan standing there in her CCAF dress uniform. Her eyes glistened with tears.

"Mei! What's the matter?" Chen reached out and tenderly held her shoulders, but her body radiated deathly cold through the fabric of her uniform.

"Why did I die, Chen?" Mei choked out, her eyes pleading. "We were going to fight for House Liao together. We were never going to die."

"But -"

"You're my Little Dragon," Mei said as tears rolled down her cheeks. "Where are you, Chen? Why am I all alone here?"

 _This is the afterlife,_ Chen realized somehow. _The world of the dead, and I don't belong here._

"Come back to me, Chen!" Mei cried. "I loved you! Why did you leave me here all alone -"

Her words cut off when she dissolved into cold ash, and Chen was left grasping empty air. As he watched, his own hands crumbled to dust, and the dissolving effect crept up his arms and legs, then his chest, then his soul -

With a gasp, Chen sat up in his tiny bunk, skin dotted with chilled sweat, his chest heaving as though he'd been running. He gasped for breath and ran a hand over his face. He felt the stubble on his jaw and his chapped lips.

Chen clapped once to activate the lights, then climbed out of his narrow bunk and faced himself in the mirror. There he stood, alive, warm blood pumping, definitely not in the dark afterlife with a dead woman he'd never have back. Instead, Chen Yeung, mercenary, stood there breathing hard in his gray shorts and white undershirt. He grabbed a towel and wiped his face, then drank water from the tiny sink's tap and willed himself not to be sick.

 _It's happening more often,_ Chen realized as he sat on his bunk's edge, hands clasped as he stared at his knees. _I keep seeing her. No matter how far away I go from that battlefield, I keep finding myself there._

Chen pounded a fist on the metal wall and bitterly muttered a curse in Mandarin, but not even that calmed him down. Not much, anyway.

Silently, Chen got dressed and left his bunk. He didn't stop until he stepped into the well-lit cantina one deck below him, where folksy music played on the speakers and a few people sat at round tables, having a drink and chatting away. Different shifts meant that all times, a few people were in here. Good; Chen could use a friendly face.

"Hey there, Chen. Didn't think you were still up," said the Werewolves' elite sniper, Anthony Pubbles, from a round table near the bar. He raised his half-full glass. "Come join us, my man."

"Glad to." Chen took a seat across Anthony and his old platoon commander, Jimmy Nolan.

"You need a drink, Scrappy." Jimmy motioned to the bartender. "Get my friend here a good scotch. On me."

Right away, the bartender prepared the drink and Jimmy handed it to Chen. "Don't think. Just drink," he said, a slight grin tugging at his lips. "That' what my old man said 'till the day he died."

Chen downed the scotch and decided that Jimmy had impeccable judgment. "Let me guess: he died of alcoholism."

"No, got run over by a bus."

Chen snorted into his empty glass. "Funny how the universe does that sometimes."

"Hey, come on now," Anthony said, shifting his bulk in his seat. "What's got you down, Scrappy? You came in here lookin' like your dog died."

"Dog? Try my old company." Chen turned his empty glass around in his hands, staring at the bottom. He could almost feel the heat from the artillery shells in his last nightmare.

"Hey, you don't have to tell us," Jimmy said gruffly. He took a drink. "I know what it's like, not wantin' to go back to old battlefields."

Chen blinked. "You guys invited me over here to _not_ talk?"

"Guess what, Scrappy," Jimmy said, scratching his lean, stubbled jaw. "I've found that sharing a quiet drink with a few pals you trust has the same effect as talk. And it don't tire out your jaw."

Anthony chuckled into his rum and Coke. "You know the dumbest shit to say, don't you, Jim."

"And you've yammered enough to weigh down a DropShip," Jimmy shot back. He and Anthony glared at each other, then shared a laugh and both drank.

Chen couldn't help a reluctant chuckle. "Okay, just a bit, then. Maybe if someone else hears the story, I won't feel so alone."

"Can't be alone on a _Union_ ship, Scrap," Jimmy said. "We're packed ass cheek to ass cheek in this tin can."

Chen nodded. "Did you fellows know that I was considered to be a new Death Commando?"

Anthony looked thoughtful. "Samesh might've mentioned it," he said, "but he's made up stories about new recruits before, man. Hardly anyone here knows shit about the CCAF. You Capellans keep a lot of secrets. I thought Samesh misunderstood somethin' you told him."

"It's no tall tale," Chen said. "I remember it, back in the spring of 3040. The Strategios decided to capitalize on the CCAF's momentum of rebuilding and revive the Death Commando unit. Elite MechWarriors from across the CCAF were brought together on Sian for the new unit to train together."

Jimmy nodded. "Not bad, Scrappy. What happened?" He took another drink.

Chen's insides squirmed as he recalled the disaster. "We were sent to protect a border world, Bianjiang, from St. Ives aggression. But the Davions sent a unit, and we were wiped out to the last man, save yours truly. I... lost everyone." Chen looked down at his lap, feeling somehow exposed. He could hardly say the words to himself, let alone his fellows.

Anthony clapped a hand on Chen's shoulder. "Can't be easy, man, opening up like that," he said. Chen looked up and saw the bigger man's reassuring look. "Lost both my parents when I was four. My grandparents raised me. I thought I was gonna go crazy, missing my mom and my old man, 'till my grandmother whacked me on the side of my head and told me 'Anthony, your parents would hit you twice as hard if the saw you actin' up like this. Now respect their memory and grow up into a proper man. A soul can't be gentle to others if it ain't gentle to itself.' Wise woman, she was."

"Where did you grow up?"

"New Home," Anthony said proudly. "My grandpop liked to say that it's the back porch of Terra, and you can hear Terra's screen door bangin' shut from there. Beautiful place. I ought to show it to you sometime."

"I've never been closer to Terra than Outreach," Chen admitted. "Did you ever go there?"

"Just once. We didn't have a lot of money, but my grandparents saved up enough for one trip," Anthony said. "Incredible place, Scrappy. Cities bigger than anythin' you ever saw, and the people! They can fit two lives into one, 'cause they can live so long. It's not rare for someone to have a career or two, then settle down and start a family. Then you celebrate your 100th birthday and think about how to spoil your newborn grandkids."

Chen stared in awe. "You're shitting me."

"Yeah," Jimmy put in. "100? You've lost it, Anthony."

"It's true," Anthony insisted. "In fact, I met an old lady celebrating her 110th birthday."

Chen couldn't even fathom what he'd do with all that time. He was just over thirty now, and his life seemed to weigh down on him. High school, leaving his civilian life behind, the Capella War College, Mei's radiant smile, the day she gave him the Little Dragon charm, her _Shadow Hawk_ crumbling under enemy fire -

 _No._ Chen realized that he'd been clenching his fists on the table and he relaxed them. Both of his fellows noticed.

"Still not feeling your best, Scrap?" Jimmy asked briskly. "I'm thinkin' another scotch will put things in order."

"Man, I don't think he needs another drink," Anthony said. "Scrappy... if you still ain't feelin' well, we have an on-board psychiatrist. Maybe she'll do you some good."

Chen already knew about Abigail Hensley, the psychiatrist, but something was staying his hand. Was it guilt? Or cowardice? Or confusion? Somehow, he felt the need to keep these old wounds inside, and not even Anthony's kind words could heal them. But as Chen watched Anthony and Jimmy argue casually about the merits of a shrink versus a beer marathon, he started to wonder if he'd taken the first step to recovery after all. At least, he felt ready to return to his bunk and try to rest again.

But he certainly didn't want to bring it up with Kathy. No, Chen decided as he left the cantina, he'd be better off maintaining his newly mended relationship with her.

 _Kathy._ Chen lay in his bunk with an arm draped over his forehead. He was almost certain she had made a move on him back on Nueva Aragon, and not just where her _Grasshopper_ was concerned. She wanted him, he was sure, but was it something deep, or something carnal she was looking for? Once again, Chen didn't have the courage to speak up. He sure as hell couldn't tell her, or himself, what his intentions with her were.

Chen didn't notice when he drifted off to an uneasy sleep, but at least he didn't see the battlefield of Bianjiang again that night.


	13. Chapter 13

**Wherever the Universe Takes Me**

by Ulquiorra9000

 **Chapter 13**

 _ **Militia field base, Tungere**_

 _ **Periphery**_

 _ **May 1, 3042**_

Chen sensed the palpable urgency around him the moment he and the rest of Jackson's Werewolves stepped off the _Horned Serpent_ on its landing pad. The air was cool and crisp, and a pleasant breeze was picking up; it smelled like autumn. In the distance he could see snow-capped mountains and large hills covered in pine forests, and a few craggy cliffs. But everywhere he looked, Chen saw soldiers and crew members in olive-colored uniforms rushing about, finishing repairs on vehicles, carting around supplies on jeeps and trucks, and scout helicopters making patrols overhead. The Tungere planetary flag, a blue circle on a white field with a thick green bar on the top and bottom, fluttered on a flagpole near the main building.

One thing Chen could say in Samesh's defense was that the man had impeccable timing; it was a miracle that the _Horned Serpent_ made it to Tungere in the tight time frame Samesh had described earlier, and not a moment too soon.

Already, some militia troopers or crew members slowed down to stare in grateful awe at the _Horned Serpent_ and the uniformed mercenaries who marched out of it. The field uniform was similar to the dress one, minus the gaudy accessories. Chen would feel pretty silly wearing a saber and pocket watch at a time like this.

"Damn good timing, Werewolves," a middle-aged man said as he met the mercenaries, flanked by a few officers and guards. He also wore a cap and fingerless black leather gloves. "We're losing our minds out here. The Oberon Confederation keeps squeezing the planetary government and New Star for outrageous concessions, and they've already killed six hostages to pressure us further."

Samesh took this in stride. "So the Confeds are losing patience. Will that make them sloppy on the field? I might be able to exploit that."

The man shrugged. "I... am not sure. We have scouted the area over and over, and can confirm that no hostile reinforcements have arrived planetside. But that's not saying much, because they outgun us like sons of bitches. Without you all coming to our aide, we would've caved in by now."

"I see." Samesh glanced around. "I want to see what assets you have. With my own eyes."

"Very well." The man led Samesh and the MechWarriors on a tour while the other Werewolves got settled in at the barracks.

 _Not a word about the hostages,_ Chen thought, watching the back of Samesh's head as he walked on the tarmac. He shivered in the intensifying wind. _It's just business._

"I'm Larry Berthold, by the way, commanding officer of the Tungere planetary militia," the man explained. "We're an informal military. 'Sir' is all I need from the troops. And their hard work, of course."

"Right," Samesh said dismissively. "Commander Berthold, what kind of fighting force are we looking at here?"

"Well, here's the long-range stuff," Larry said as the group approached a trio of vehicle sheds. "See them? Those LRM carriers are the meat of our firepower. We can put over a thousand LRMs into the air in three minutes."

Chen spotted the two lances of LRM carriers and frowned. The treaded vehicles looked impressive up close, especially with the maintenance crews touching them up, but they were also shoddy, having mismatched armor crudely patched together and old paint jobs. One of them was missing its treads, and Samesh was quick to point this out.

"We're about to get one last supply shipment tomorrow," Larry hastened to explain. "Don't worry, the militia will be combat-ready within 24 hours. Twelve, if I push the crews hard enough."

Samesh grunted. "And those?" He pointed at the neighboring lot of vehicle sheds.

"Ah yes, our SRM carriers. The piranhas, as the boys call them," Larry said with a forced smile. "A full company. Each of them can unload sixty warheads on a target without mercy. Cover them, and they'll turn anything to dust in seconds flat."

Samesh pursed his lips, and Chen knew why; the SRM carriers looked even more weary than the LRM carriers, and while the SRM carriers drove around, Chen heard the vehicles' treads and suspension systems creaking and groaning with the effort, and the SRM frame on one of the carriers was wobbling.

Could these things really stand up to an enemy force for long?

"No BattleMech assets, I presume?" Samesh said coldly as the group continued the tour, speaking over a passing ammo supply truck.

"None," Larry said. "We don't have the budget out here. If I really tried, I could get a few _Wasp_ s or _Locust_ s on board, but that would mean some serious cuts, and my VTOL force can scout just fine. We've had eyes in the skies ever since this god-damned hostage situation started in April."

"I see," Samesh said again. "What else is combat-prepped?"

"A whole fleet of wheeled APCs," Larry said quickly, "and the platoons to fill them. Being close to Oberon space, we've never lacked for volunteers, let me tell you that. I know, they're just PBI, but this militia is well-stocked with RPGs, Inferno rocket launchers, mines, and other anti-'Mech and anti-vehicle weaponry. If we can't have our own 'Mechs or heavy tanks, we can deny them to the enemy, too."

"A fair point," Samesh said casually. He nodded at a company of _Scorpion_ tanks. "Are those ready to fight?"

"They certainly are," Larry said proudly, just as a _Scorpion_ let out a loud groan and stalled. Smoke billowed from between the armor plates, and crew members rushed over to help.

Larry winced as Samesh gave him a disbelieving look. "I concede, _that_ particular tank has been troubling us. A real lemon, that one."

"Then take it out of your militia," Samesh said.

"I'm sure we'll fix it in time for combat ops," Larry said nervously. "That company is well-trained to fight as a unit. You'll see."

Samesh looked unconvinced.

 _It's the "budget tank." Cheap and common in the Periphery and planetary militias like this one,_ Chen thought as he watched a repair truck roll toward the hapless _Scorpion_ tank. _It's really just target practice for anyone else. I never even saw one in the CCAF. I hope Larry is right that this company can shoot well, or they'll end up as a thin bullet sponge for the rest of us._

Suddenly, his _Panther_ seemed more like an _Atlas_.

Samesh turned to Chen. "MechWarrior Yeung. Tactical analysis? What's your take on this?"

"All tactical data is available in the admin building," Larry offered.

"Yes, and my intelligence crew will get on that," Samesh said. "But I want a MechWarrior's gut feeling."

Chen rubbed his chin. "Well... we may have the advantage in numbers and the maneuverability of our 'Mech lance, so the combined main force meets the bandits head-on and the Werewolves' 'Mech lance strikes from rough terrain or forests as a surgical strike and drive the rest into a blind rage. A bigger version of Brigitte's 'scatter and aggravate' tactic. It's risky, though, since our 'Mech lance might find itself surrounded."

Samesh nodded. "Not bad. Yes, I'm confident that our combined forces can handle light and medium BattleMechs, even if half of your tanks fall apart on their own accord." He directed this last sentiment right at Larry, who winced again.

"We can do it, Samesh," Brigitte assured her CO. "Scrappy and I can work with Peter and the others to adjust my strategy for a battlefield scale. I'll need the militia's scout data, of course."

"Which we are happy to provide," Larry said, probably eager to save face. "MechWarrior...?"  
"Brigitte Anders."

"MechWarriors Yeung and Anders, I'm confident that with your skills and brains, we'll kick those Oberon bastards off our planet," Larry said. "I'm glad you're here, Werewolves. I look forward to working with you."

"Get us that data, and we'll be ready," Samesh told him. "My top intelligence officer can deal with anything. Make sure he's got every bit of intel you have. Beam it to the _Horned Serpent_ and he'll get started."

Larry raised his eyebrows. "He's not coming here? We have a whole department for intel in the admin building." He nodded at the four-story building.

Samesh shook his head. "Peter doesn't do crowds. Or any changes to his routine. Hell, he won't let me change his rations, either. Look, I've learned not to question his requests for accommodation. In return, he'll give us a winning plan."

Larry looked impressed. "Good enough for me." He took a step back and motioned to the nearest barracks. "My VTOLs are finishing their current scouting trip. Until we get their up-to-date intel, Werewolves, why not try a few rounds of poker at the barracks and get settled in?"

"I'm all for that," Herb said, rubbing his hands together. "Brigitte?"

Brigitte snorted. "Sure, whatever. But the minute we get that intel, Scrappy and I are gonna memorize it back to front and pass it along to Peter. I need everyone on board for whatever plan is formulated."

She flashed a quick smile to Chen. "Might as well enjoy yourself, Scrappy. Hostage situations ain't much fun."

"Come on," Kathy added, clapping Chen on the back. "Ever played Texas hold-em? No? I'll show you."

"Lead the way." Chen decided that Brigitte and Kathy were right. Once things hit the fan... well, he'd rather get in a few games first and acclimate to Tungere's militia. He was a long way from home.

*o*o*o*o*

It was nearly midnight when the APC parked at the predetermined meeting point twenty miles from the militia base. The APC switched off its headlights and the driver waited for its fellow to arrive.

Right on time, a second APC, one with a fanged lizard painted on the side, arrived and also killed its lights. Men deployed from both vehicles and met in the forest clearing in the moonlight.

"You better have it, Garth," a man from the second APC grunted as the two parties met.

"You think I came all this way to fuck around?" the other man snapped. "Yeah, I got it. Sam, the data."

Another man, Sam, set down a metal suitcase on the pine needle-strewn forest floor and cracked it open. A data screen inside showed the Oberon bandits just what they wanted to see.

"Up-to-date as of 2100 hours," the man named Sam said. His breath steamed in the chilly night. "And access codes to the militia's comm channels. But those mercenaries are gonna be a major pain to deal with."

The bandit group's leader crouched before the suitcase, his face lit by the screen, showing his crooked smile. "The boss was right," he said. "Jackson's Werewolves... they didn't take a liking to our mercenary policy. This joker Samesh Jackson's gotta be the vindictive type."

"They're well-armed," Garth warned the Oberon bandits. "A lance of light to heavy 'Mechs, armored tanks, VTOLs, and two platoons and the APCs to get them around. They must've doubled the militia's firepower."

"They ain't shit," the Oberon bandit said. "We can handle 'em, 'specially with this fresh intel."

He nodded to another bandit, who set down a SecurePro brand suitcase at Garth's feet. This common civilian item was popular for carrying cash, jewels, sensitive documents, or anything else the carrier didn't want people stealing. Not even a C4 pack could blow it open.

"It's all in there. 250,000 C-Bills," the bandit minion said. "Look. Here's the code..." He typed a seven-digit code into the suitcase's keypad, and it sprang open to reveal packets of 50 and 100-Cbill notes inside.

"Done." Garth shut the suitcase again and picked it up with a grunt. "Look, I'm gonna need passage off-world with this cash. Won't take long for commander Berthold to realize what I've done."

The bandit crew boss chuckled. "Then buy yerself a first-class ticket on the next shuttle outta here and enjoy your complimentary drinks for us."

Garth handed the suitcase to Sam, who stowed it on the borrowed-without-permission militia APC. "Not a bad idea. I think I'll need a drink after this."


	14. Chapter 14

**Wherever the Universe Takes Me**

by Ulquiorra9000

 **Chapter 14**

 _ **New Star research center campus, Tungere**_

 _ **Periphery**_

 _ **May 2, 3042**_

"Remember, lance... we wait for our turn to strike," Brigitte Anders, or Wolf One, said on the comm. "The militia will handle things first. Samesh will wait for their signal to strike."

"Copy that," Chen said as his _Panther_ negotiated Tungere's autumn wilderness with his lance. It was almost noon, and while the main assault force took the road toward the New Star research facility, the BattleMech lance of Jackson's Werewolves took a stealthy route through the wilderness about two kilometers to the assault force's west, navigating forests, hills, and rocky plains. Being bipedal, the 'Mechs had no trouble handling terrain that would have tangled up tanks and APCs.

Chen's HUD clock showed just a few minutes shy of noon when Brigitte signaled for the lance to take cover in a copse of deciduous trees on a tall hill's rocky cliff. Chen crouched his _Panther_ in place, hidden among the colorful swirl of brown and orange leaves.

 _So, there it is._ Chen got a visual on New Star's base. According to Larry's intel, this research lab did bio-mechanical work, such as prosthetics and replacement eyeballs and eardrums for war veterans and workplace injury victims. The main building was six stories high, with satellite dishes and radio antennae on the roof. Three shorter, wider buildings sat nearby, and dozens of cars and supply trucks were parked in each of the two small parking lots. There was a huge chain-link fence around the campus, but the whole thing had been knocked down.

Probably by the Oberon Confederation bandits who surrounded the place.

"There's even more than I expected," Kathy, of Wolf Two, said on the comm. Her _Grasshopper_ leaned closer to look. "This is gonna be a tough one."

"We'll let the militia handle things first," Brigitte reminded her. "And Peter's plan is solid."

"I've never done a hostage situation before," Herb, Wolf Three, mentioned. "This had better not go south."

"Even if it does, no one can blame our lance," Kathy said casually. "It's up to them now..."

*o*o*o*o*

Larry Berthold, from his cop days, knew how to handle a hostage situation, but not one of this scale. He sat in the backseat of an armored Humvee in the assault force, arms folded, going over possible dialogue in his head. It was up to his militia and those Werewolves to handle the shooting, if and when it came to that.

The New Star research lab drew close, and Larry took a deep breath to steady himself.

An agent in the Humvee's back seat set up comm equipment once the convoy came to a halt. Larry looked out the windows, and as expected, the Oberon force spread out in a wide line to meet the attackers, ready to shoot. Larry swallowed and put on a headset, plugged into the comm set, and adjusted the headset.

"I am Larry Berthold, commander of the Tungere planetary militia," he said on a broad, open comm for all to hear. "I am here to negotiate."

The bandits didn't take long to answer. "Shit. About damn time," a man's voice answered. "You ready to pay up yet?"

 _Stay calm. Empathy first._ "Why do you feel the need to take innocent researchers hostage? They must be terrified. What could drive you to violate their workplace?"

The bandit took a second to answer. "What, you wanna know why?" he spat. "Easy! The Confederation wants to go legit, but we can't afford shit. Our people still go hungry, you bastard. People die every day because busted, old life support systems on space sations and moon bases give out! We don't have anythin' except rust and prayers. Or have you never heard that before?"

Larry certainly never heard that phrase before, but he pressed on. "You're doing this for the people of the Confederation?"

"That's what I'm saying!" the bandit raged. "Raiding draws attention to us, and now mercenaries like the fucking Jackson's Werewolves show up to stop us! But no one will help us. What else can we do but take what we need at gunpoint?"

"But this only perpetuates the cycle," Larry told him. "This raid drives worlds like mine to hire mercenaries, and then everyone else is even less willing to support the Confederation through peaceful means."

"Shut up!" the bandit roared, and Larry winced at his mistake. "This shit will never end unless the Confederation's people get what they need! We need a society that benefits everyone, and not just the interstellar elite!"

"I know, and many agree with that sentiment," Larry said in a rush. "But violence will never get you there. It's not the way. Stand down, and we can talk this out. Representatives of the Tungere government can -"

"If you bring 'em into this, I'll blow this whole place!" the bandit warned. "Bad enough you brought those Werewolves into this. Try anything else, and these people burn."

Larry traded grim looks with the agent sitting next to him. Now what? Things were going south even sooner than expected.

 _Shit._ Larry swallowed again and spoke into the comm. "Are you asking us to just withdraw? Those are Tungere citizens in there. We can't abandon them any more than you can neglect the hungry Oberon folk."

The bandit paused at that, and for a moment, Larry hoped that he had gotten through to the bandit. Then the man responded in a flat tone. "Listen. You wanna fight for it? We won't blow the building if you don't bring in no outside reinforcements or try anything dirty."

"Excuse me?"

"Your army's here, and so is mine," the bandit said. "Winner gets his way. We win, we get _all_ the concessions we asked for and the hostages go free. You win, and we pay for any damages, leave the system, and King Grimm III swears to declare Tungere off-limits to raids. You get me?"

Larry froze, aware that if he agreed, he'd be responsible for the outcome, whatever it may be. But then again, it _was_ a sensible deal, and better than leaving the hostage in there to rot...

"Agreed."

"Damn right," the bandit said. "We open fire in two minutes. Get your ass somewhere safe if you don't want it blown to hell."

Larry cut the comm and swore. "Driver! Get us out of here!" he demanded. "Now!"

The driver wasted no time. The Humvee's wheels scuffed into the cool dirt and the vehicle roared through the battle formation and into the safety of the nearby forest, sheltered from the impending fire.

Larry gave the combined militia and Werewolves a hopeful look. _It's in your hands now._

*o*o*o*o*

Chen's bloodthirsty mercenary side wanted to spring right away and start blasting, but his CCAF training kept him tensed in place like a compressed spring. Down below on the plains around the New Star facility, both sides suddenly opened fire. A dazzling tidal wave of LRMs erupted from the militia's LRM carriers, and the Oberon bandits panicked, scattering wide to avoid splash damage. The very ground shuddered as hundreds of missiles blasted the earth.

As the bandits fanned out, the militia's APCs rolled forward and rapidly deployed their armored troopers, who prepared their RPGs, Inferno rocket launchers, and laser turrets to fire. The Oberon infantry rushed to meet them, hundreds strong, and small arms fire thickened the air in a deadly melee.

"Any minute now..." Brigitte's voice said in Chen's ear, and he narrowed his eyes as he watched the bandits move. He monitored the Oberon 'Mech company and determined that the assorted light and medium 'Mechs were meant to augment the main force rather than take charge. But what if they were taken out first?

"Almost..." Brigitte said eagerly on the comm, her _Shadow Hawk_ creaking as it rocked on its heels. "On my mark... GO!"

Chen shoved his _Panther_ 's throttle to 100% and held himself steady as his 'Mech thundered down the sloped cliff, his lance right around him in formation. A lance of light Oberon 'Mechs were nearby, two _Wasp_ s and two _Commando_ s. Perfect targets.

"That _Wasp_! Fire!" Brigitte barked.

As Brigitte spoke, Chen's HUD received battle data from the _Shadow Hawk_ , painting a target onto an Oberon _Wasp_. Chen lined up his crosshairs, got the lock, and squeezed his trigger.

Chen's PPC struck the _Wasp_ first. The thick beam sheared off its left arm at the shoulder, leaving only molten armor and smoke at the left torso. Brigitte followed up, and her autocannon shells rattled the hapless light _'Mech_. Her LRMs knocked the _Wasp_ off-balance, and an LRM volley from Herb's _Trebuchet_ blasted the disabled _Wasp_ onto its back.

"Good! We've got eyes on us. Aggravate and scatter!" Brigitte hollered. "Move it, Werewolves!"

Chen obediently broke from the engagement and circled wide, and on his radar, he watched his lancemates do the same, giving no easy target for the Oberon 'Mechs. They were no doubt furious at the deadly flanking attack, eager for payback. And that would make them sloppy.

LRMs pounded Chen's torso, and he felt a chill as he realized that no Oberon 'Mech had fired them. _What? I can't get a bead on the target!_

More LRMs, and now PPCs, flashed across the battlefield from strange angles, cleanly going through the ranks of the Oberon 'Mechs and chipping away at Brigitte's own lance.

"What's going on, Wolf One?" Kathy cried on the comm.

"We're the ones getting outflanked!" Brigitte realized, her horror clear in Chen's headset. "Look! The Oberon 'Mechs are just toying with us. Those Oberon _Manticore_ s are backing them up."

 _Already? Our flanking attack was flawless,_ Chen thought as he avoided more enemy fire from tanks and 'Mechs alike. _The Oberon tanks couldn't have been redirected to us so soon! Unless..._

Chen bared his teeth. "Wolf One! They were ready for us. There's no other explanation."

"Ready? How?" Kathy demanded.

"Look at the battle," Chen said grimly. "The Oberon forces are countering everything we do."

Already, the disaster was unfolding. Although the militia's LRM carriers had dealt impressive damage with their first two volleys, Oberon _Manticore_ s and VTOLs alike had already weaved their way expertly through the battlefield, around militia formations, and pounced on the LRM carriers at close range.

Chen winced as one, then two, then three LRM carriers succumbed to enemy fire. LRM carriers were fire-support only; they were slow, and had thin armor and no backup weapons of any kind. The surviving LRM carriers backed away on their treads to give themselves breathing room, and the two tanks lances of Jackson's Werewolves moved in to protect them.

 _Good. If we can keep those LRM carriers safe..._ Chen thought. He saw the Werewolves' own _Manticore_ s engage the Oberon ones, and being in better condition, they gained the upper hand. The two _Goblin_ and two _Bulldog_ Werewolves tanks backed them up.

"Eyes over here, Scrappy!" Brigitte told him. "Let our tank lances handle things. We have to get out of here."

Sure enough, the Oberon 'Mechs were increasing the pressure, and they had plenty of vehicle support. Chen winced as an Oberon _Phoenix Hawk_ 's large laser grazed his thigh, and he yanked his joysticks hard to the left to regroup with the lance and retreat. He kept weaving and juking at random to present a tougher target to the Oberon forces.

"LRM carriers down! I repeat, we have lost the LRM carriers!" Samesh barked on the general comm. "Werewolves, get out of there! No use defending their carcasses. Form up!"

 _What the...!_ Chen stole another glance at the battlefield. The last surviving LRM carriers were smoking wrecks, and the militia's SRM carriers were the next targets. Samesh's tank lances had finished off the Oberon tanks with two of their own _Manticore_ s going down, but more Oberon forces were inbound. This time, it was APCs with RPG-carrying infantry riding on their roofs.

Chen saw Samesh's tanks vanish off his radar one by one, and the radio chatter confirmed that overwhelming RPG fire, plus Oberon VTOL support, made short work of Samesh's last two _Manticore_ s. The lance of two _Bulldog_ s and two _Goblin_ s regrouped with the main assault force, and the Oberon APCs retreated.

 _We'll never win at this rate,_ Chen realized. The bandits were outnumbered, but their flanking attacks were impeccable, and they knew exactly when and where the militia and Jackson's Werewolves were vulnerable.

Chen's eyes widened and he tapped into Samesh's comm. "Commander! Is it possible that the bandits hacked our private servers? They're anticipating everything we do with perfect timing."

"Got to be," Samesh said. "Get your lance with the main force and we'll make an assault so simple and blunt there won't be anything _to_ read! Just man-to-man!"

Chen had to agree. Getting fancy out here would just leave openings that the bandits would exploit every time. But in a meat grinder, the militia and Jackson's Werewolves could press their numerical advantage.

"They're pursuing us!" Herb cried as his _Trebuchet_ sprinted full speed away from the Oberon 'Mech company. "Wolf One?"

"Shit. Let's try and discourage them," Brigitte told the lance. "Then we'll form - aaaargh!"

A bandit _Griffin_ punished Brigitte's _Shadow Hawk_ with its PPC, blasting armor off her right torso. Autocannon fire from a hostile _Clint_ wiped out even more of her armor, and smoke poured from the jagged wound. Brigitte's return fire chipped armor off the _Clint_ , but it didn't dare back down.

Chen let out a frustrated yell and aimed his _Panther_ 's PPC. The beam cored the _Clint_ 's center torso, but when the beam exhausted its energy, a little armor was still left. This allowed the _Clint_ to pepper Chen's 'Mech with its autocannon, and his armor tracker marked his center torso with orange. Not good.

"Hey there!" Kathy taunted on the general comm. Her hulking _Grasshopper_ spread its arms wide. "You boys want some fun?"

The _Clint_ 's pilot greedily took the bait. The 35-tonner raced ahead and fired its autocannon 5, but this time, the shells went wide. Kathy's return fire blasted right into the _Clint_ 's center torso and blew the 'Mech to pieces. Its flaming wreckage scattered over the rippling grass.

For a fleeting moment, Chen was sure the bandits would back off. Instead, the ten light and medium 'Mechs surged in a wide formation, wildly blasting. Herb's _Trebuchet_ jerked as autocannon shells and LRMs punished it head to toe, and while his own LRMs damaged an enemy _Dragon_ 's torso and right arm, the bandit 'Mech kept on firing. Its next volley blew off Herb's left arm, robbing him of a precious LRM 15 launcher.

"Watch out!" Chen hurried over to cover Brigitte's _Shadow Hawk_ from an enemy _Jenner_ that had set its sights on her. Too late; the smaller 'Mech's lasers scoured the _Shadow Hawk_ 's legs, and its SRMs blew armor plates from the bigger 'Mech's right arm. Brigitte turned and returned fire, but her SRM 2 and medium laser were taken in stride.

 _Damn!_ Chen's own SRMs pounded the Oberon 'Mech, but once again, the enemy forces refused to back off. The _Jenner_ , working in tandem with a _Commando_ , converged on Chen's _Panther_. Fourteen SRMs rattled Chen's _Panther_ , and he hung onto his joysticks for dear life, his ears ringing as explosions blinded him. _Mei... forgive me, but I don't want to meet you in the next world just yet. The Little Dragon isn't done yet._

Chen never got the chance to recover. He couldn't see a thing, but he felt LRMs envelope his _Panther_ with fresh detonations, and autocannon shells splintered his 'Mech's metal bones and myomers.

"Damage critical. Eject. Eject," the 'Mech's computer warned, and Chen felt horrible heat surging into his cockpit. It was now or never.

Chen muttered a tense prayer and pulled on the ejection lever. Flaming jets elevated his command couch from the _Panther_ 's head, and the G-forces mashed him into the seat, his vision dimming as he rose higher and higher.


	15. Chapter 15

**Wherever the Universe Takes Me**

by Ulquiorra9000

 **Chapter 15**

 _ **New Star research center campus, Tungere**_

 _ **Periphery**_

 _ **May 2, 3042**_

Chen willed himself not to pass out from the G-forces as he roared over the battlefield in his ejection seat, his teeth bared and neck tensed from the strained effort. All he could feel was the rattle of his seat and the jets' roar in his ears, and he prayed that he was arcing toward friendly lines and not into the bandits' hands. He'd sooner slash his own throat than end up in Oberon hands.

 _Better that I died back on Bianjiang with the others._

Just as the ejection seat's fuel ran now, Chen was acutely aware of his seat's parachute deploying, and he felt the strain in his spine as the momentum was cut and he slowed down. He opened his eyes and found the ground rushing to meet him from an angle, and he braced himself.

 _THUD!_ Chen felt his bones ache and shudder as the seat impacted and rolled against the ground, but luckily, his parachute slowed him enough to make the landing survivable. Smaller, course-correcting jets hissed to life to reduce the tumbling, and at last, his seat came to a halt sideways on the grass, the red and white parachute settling around him.

Chen unstrapped himself from the seat, fought his way free of the parachute, and climbed into open air, standing on the grass as an ant watching tanks and BattleMechs in the near distant. The good news was that every ejection seat had a homing device, and sure enough, Chen spotted a friendly _Bulldog_ tank make its way to him through the chaos of battle.

It was a Tungere militia tank, and once it got close, Chen climbed onto the tank's body, gripping a handle meant for infantry to cling to during movement. _This is like that day on Bianjiang,_ Chen realized grimly. _Blasted out of my 'Mech, retreating on a lucky tank..._

But this time, his fellows were still here. Bianjiang was a distant battlefield two years ago.

Even from this limited vantage point, Chen could see the battle unfold, and by now, Samesh's plan to consolidate the assault force into a blunt instrument was taking shape. With the militia's comms hacked, any flanking or fire-support maneuvers would be exploited at once, so the only option was to create an assault that the bandits could only read in one manner: "ATTACK!"

At least Kathy, Herb, and Brigitte were still standing, but barely. The militia's forces backed them up, and a few SRM carriers deterred nearby Oberon medium 'Mechs from attacking. Not even a BattleMech could handle sixty SRMs at once.

The _Bulldog_ tank brought Chen close to an APC belonging to Jackson's Werewolves, and once Chen got close, he hopped off the tank and climbed into the APC's troop bay.

"What the...? MechWarrior Yeung?" the confused driver said as Chen barged into the driver's cabin.

"Patch me in... to Samesh," Chen panted. "Now."

"You got it." The driver adjusted a dial on the dashboard and handed a headset to Chen, who put it on and adjusted the mic.

"MechWarrior Yeung to Werewolves command," Chen said. "Come in."

"Scrappy!" Samesh said in relief. "I saw your 'Mech go down. Are you injured?"

"Only bruises. I'm in one piece, commander," Chen reported in. "I can still fight."

"Negative," Samesh said. "You're much more valuable to me as a MechWarrior than on the ground. Jimmy and Sentaro's platoons can fight without you. We've got the new plan to rely on."

"Don't give the bandits anything to exploit, right?"

"Damn right. It's our only chance. We've lost too many assets trying to flank them already. Sit tight, Scrappy. You've done enough."

Chen could hear the tense anger in Samesh's voice, but he knew better than to test the man's patience. Instead, he cut the channel and sat in the APC's troop bay in his cooling vest and shorts, his neuro-helmet held in his lap.

 _We didn't come all this way just to lose._

*o*o*o*o*

It felt like an hour until Samesh called for Chen again, and the MechWarrior rushed into the driver's cabin and put on the headset. "I'm here, commander."

"The lab is secure," Samesh said flatly. "Oberon forces are on the retreat, but there may be soldiers stationed in that lab. It's risky, but... if you wish, you can join Sentaro's platoon and secure the facility. The worst of the fighting is over."

Chen nodded even though Samesh couldn't see him. "I'll get some gear and join them."

The APC drove Chen to the New Star facility, and once Chen donned a combat suit, helmet, and weapons, he joined what was left of Sentaro's platoon at the building's front doors.

"Welcome back, Yeung," Sentaro said, wiping his brow. "You ready?"

"Hell yeah." _I can't just sit in that APC while everyone risks their lives._

Once everyone formed up, Sentaro gave the signal, and two men kicked open the front doors.

The front lobby showed clear signs of distress. Dozens of bullet holes peppered the walls in uneven lines, and Chen could imagine Oberon raiders bursting in here and shooting the walls to announce the takeover. At least there were no bloodstains on the shiny tiled floors or cream-colored walls.

"Didn't think we'd find a nice place like this in the shithole Periphery," someone commented as the platoon advanced into the admin building.

"Hey, even Periphery folk know how to make a place homey," Anthony said. He had traded his usual sniper rifle for a semi-auto shotgun for this mission. He smiled easily. "Can't go having ignorant opinions."

"Sure, whatever..."

Chen saw Anthony's point; most Periphery settlements were rusty, grimy pirate hideouts or desperate colonies, but the people of Tungere held themselves to a high standard, either our of vanity or principle. The place had a warm ambiance with its soft lighting, expensive construction, and potted plants and lush carpet. But random bullet holes reminded him why he was really here.

"Squad three, go ahead to the west wing," Sentaro commanded. "Squads one and two, on me. Squad four, protect our rear."

Being in squad one, Chen advanced with Sentaro and Anthony up to the second floor, marching up the stairs (the elevators might be booby-trapped) and finding more desolate halls and rooms. The tense, quiet atmosphere definitely grated on Chen's nerves. The sooner they found those hostages, the better.

Sentaro tapped into his comm set. "Squads, report." He took a minute to listen, then cut the comm. "Squads three and four came up empty," he said. "If there's a trap waiting, it's up ahead."

Chen tightened his grip on his needle thrower pistol and prepared for the worst.

He got it, but not the kind he expected.

"Jesus," Anthony swore when he lay eyes on the scene. "Oh, God protect us..."

Chen wasn't a Christian, but he appreciated Anthony's reaction all the same.

He found all the hostages... dead. Researchers in lab coats and suits, and even the janitors, were sprawled in a large research lab room in pools of blood. Even the walls were streaked with it, along with more random bullet holes.

"God-damn it!" Sentaro roared. He kicked over a swivel chair. "Fucking Oberon bastards slaughtered the hostages and ran!"

"They must've done it to screw with us once we won the battle," a trooper said, her voice shaking. "Sir, I'm sorry..."

"Ain't your fault," Sentaro said, running a gloved hand over his face. "Commander Larry Berthold is gonna lose his fucking mind when he hears about this."

There was nothing else to do but finish sweeping the building (no bandits or traps found), and allow militia forces to secure the premises. And as expected, Larry Berthold of the Tungere militia nearly had a heart attack when he got the news.

"This won't be forgotten," Larry said in a trembling voice. "Not as long as we live. The victim's families will be notified, and the bodies will be transported to the capital. Thank you, Werewolves, for your assistance. Our planet is secure again."

Chen knew that Larry was much more bitter than grateful, but he didn't blame the man. It was time for the Werewolves to leave Tungere and flee the Periphery before the vengeful Oberon Confederation forces could hunt them down.

*o*o*o*o*

 _ **DropShip**_ **Horned Serpent,** _ **Tungere system transit**_

 _ **Periphery**_

 _ **May 4, 3042**_

Chen didn't see or hear anything from Samesh after the Pyrrhic victory on Tungere, but just after leaving Tungere's orbit to head for the waiting JumpShip, Samesh suddenly called his MechWarriors and tank crews to the briefing room. With a sense of trepidation, Chen obeyed.

Samesh was already in a towering mood. "You failed!" he roared. He swept an arm across the table and knocked papers, laptops, and coffee mugs onto the floor in a noisy mess. His eyes spat fire. "I fucking expect better out of you! If we had done our jobs better, those people... those hostages would have been saved!"

"Commander!" Kathy interjected. "Those bandits hacked our network. What else could we have done?"

"A better job, that's what!" Samesh bellowed. he stomped over and shoved his face into Kathy's. "We lost half our fucking fee because the hostages were lost! If we were smarter and faster, we could have saved them!"

"How?" Kathy challenged him. "How could we have done that?"

Samesh made an aggravated noise and held his head in his hands. "We... we could have countered the bandits' countermeasures faster, and inserted an APC of troops into the research lab faster. Our men sure as hell could've killed those Oberon bastards and secured the hostages!"

Chen thought it over, and maybe, just _maybe_ , that plan could have worked, but it sounded risky. What if two bandit _Manticore_ s had intercepted that APC and blown it apart? Or hostile VTOLs could have strafed the troopers on their way in.

"We're better than this!" Samesh roared to the room in general, pacing back and forth. "We set a higher standard. It's what our clients expect out of us! Who's gonna hire us now? Who?!"

"No one is blaming us for losing the hostages," Brigitte told him. "The Tungere militia paid us for driving the bandits off-world. Without us, the bandits could've raided even more civilian targets. Maybe a hospital! Or even a school!"

Samesh bared his teeth. "Who gives a shit! I work day and night to make Jackson's Werewolves the best mercenary gang around. We've gotten this far because of _me_!"

"We know," Kathy said, raising her voice. "Whatever our next contract may be, we'll win. I'm sure of it."

"Oh, that's big talk coming from you, losing a MechWarrior in your lance," Samesh bit back, once again shoving his face into Kathy's. "Scrappy's _Panther_ was dusted out there. Why didn't you cover his ass?"

"We were outnumbered," Chen blurted out. "I don't blame them."

"Don't you talk back to me," Samesh growled at him. "You were Dispossessed when I met you, Chen! I gave you a family and a 'Mech. Remember your place!"

"We're doing all we can," Kathy assured him. "Samesh, we'll turn this around."

"Not at this rate!" Samesh jabbed an accusing finger at her. "With only half our fee paid, we barely broke even on that mission! Repairing Chen's _Panther_ and buying new tanks is gonna cost us, not to mention the travel fees back into Inner Sphere space! We're bound to arrive in Lyran space in three weeks, but what then? House Steiner will know of our failure."

"Everyone stumbles sometimes," Kathy said in a low, sharp tone.

"Not us," Samesh snapped. "I worked too hard for us to fail. You have to _win_ , MechWarriors, no matter what. After everything I've put into this company -"

"We're not the Kell Hounds!" Kathy roared, finally losing her patience. "We're not invincible, Samesh! Do you fancy yourself Morgan Kell, blowing up bad guys with impunity?"

Samesh hesitated, huffing in anger. He ran his hands over his face and turned around. "Get out," he said. "Get out, all of you. I don't want to see your faces right now."

There was no helping it. Chen filed out of the room with everyone else and shut the metal door behind him.

"Damn, I need a drink," Kathy said. "Anyone in?"

"Me," Chen volunteered.

"Yeah, me too," Brigitte said, her eyes flashing. "I can't look at _his_ face right now, either. Gotta forget what it looks like."

There was a pretty big drinking party in the cantina that night. And not for the best of reasons after a hard-fought mission.


	16. Chapter 16

**Wherever the Universe Takes Me**

by Ulquiorra9000

 **Chapter 16**

 _ **Border Security Headquarters, Kent VI**_

 _ **Capellan March, Federated Commonwealth**_

 _ **December 6, 3045**_

Well, this _was_ supposed to be a routine evening for officer Rupert Haynes here at the headquarters, and he had a soccer game all lined up on the "contraband" mini-television that he had propped up on his large desk. Nothing ever happened in this neck of Davion space; some called it "the armpit of the FedCom," but that was bit harsh. It was just quiet, and that made jobs like this pretty easy. Some of the other guys threw a beer pong party last evening and no work was missed due to the festivities. Now that was worth the weekly paycheck.

But then this signal appeared...

"Crap on a cracker," officer Haynes muttered, annoyed as he reached up and twisted some dials on the Command and Intelligence console, which sat on sturdy racks bolted to the wall. He reluctantly slipped on his bulky headphones and listened, a frown on his face.

His frown deepened.

"This is officer Haynes," Haynes said into the mouthpiece. "Is this info legit? You're sure?" The soccer game was all but forgotten.

Haynes felt his heart race as he kept taking in the update, and he realized that the quiet armpit of the FedCom was in fact a sort of warzone where inter-empire law was concerned. He was here at ground zero.

"Shit!" Haynes scrambled to plug his headset into a different console and barely noticed when he knocked over a mug full of pens. He kept swearing under his breath until his senior officer finally clicked in.

 _"Director Ragby here,"_ came the woman's calm voice.

"Director!" Haynes cried. "I just got a report from the field commander of the Taurian recon division. It's Code Gamma! The Rockwell Corporation, it..."

He repeated what the intelligence officer had just told him.

 _"I see. Thank you,"_ Director Ragby said with her unshakable calm, but Haynes wondered if he heard a tremor in her voice. _"This will be brought to the security battalion at once. If we are lucky, we can intercept their next shipment within the week. Ten days, maximum."_

Officer Haynes prayed that he wasn't about to hyperventilate. "D-Director! D'you know what this means? After all this time, all those shipments from the Rockwell Corporation and its partners..."

 _"Yes, I realize the implications,"_ Ragby said. If she was rattled, she had a Ph.D. in acting skills. _"You and the recon team have done fine work bringing this to my attention. I hope you have a few energy drinks on hand. You're in for a long night. Your whole department is. Ready?"_

Haynes slapped a hand on the mini-television's power button and sat up straight. "You're telling me..."

*o*o*o*o*

 _ **DropShip**_ **Wampus Cat** _ **, Tumble Rock Orbit**_

 _ **Taurian Concordat**_

 _ **December 13, 3045**_

Samesh said that there was good work out here in the Taurian Concordat, and he was so impatient to find it, he jumped into the system without even waiting for a solid contract first. Instead, he worked overtime with the crew to drum up work, and now, just as the _Wampus Cat_ settled into orbit around an arid world called Tumble Rock, a gig was secured.

"This is a simple one," Samesh said tersely in the meeting room at 13:45 hours. His gaunt face was lit up by the glow of the holographic table over which he stood. His eye sockets definitely looked hollow and deep from years of stress and lidded anger. No one even noticed anymore. "The Rockwell Corporation is not taking any risks with the elevated rates of bandit attacks around here. The Taurian Defense Force is stretched thin, and bandits get through all the time." He pounded a fist on the table to accentuate those last three years. "That's where we come in. Lots of merc gangs and private security forces are finding work around here, and we've got a contract with the Rockwell Corporation. They're payin' us nice and good to escort a shipment of manufactured goods to the spaceport in the capital."

He motioned with his hands to bring up the new display. A few screens showed the HQ of the Rockwell Corporation, along with planetary maps and graphs showing a strained local security force and raider activity. "See this? Shipments are havin' a tough time getting into Davion space in one piece, if they ever make it."

Now Samesh looked over at his assembled warriors and scowled. "Escort duty ain't the most glamorous work. But it pays fine, and we're gonna do it. We also get 40% of all bandit salvage, so let's hope those bandits are running great 'Mechs... so we can scrap 'em and collect a serious haul."

There was a murmur of assent. Chen and the others knew better than to question Samesh or do anything besides show general compliance, given his short fuse and the tough economic times Jackson's Werewolves had hit. The gang toured the Inner Sphere and the Periphery from the Melissa Theater in the LyrCom to the Outworlds Alliance's fragile borders to work in the wild frontier around the Marian Hegemony and Magistracy of Canopus... and not all of it turned out the way Samesh wanted. Chen suspected that only the strategic soothing that Jimmy and Kathy provided kept Samesh together. Not to mention the Werewolves overall.

"And we've got help for this one," Samesh added. "Another merc gang is workin' with us to escort the convoy to the spaceport. Group of misfits called Ruby Wizards. Don't ask how they got the name. I'm thinkin' either the Rockwell Corporation is paranoid, or we're in for a serious fight out there." He gripped the edge of the table and had a predatory look on his face. "We make planetfall in three hours. Until then, brush up, warriors, and get your killing faces on. Dismissed."

Chen, like the others, didn't say anything in particular as he left the crowded conference room with the others. So, a routine escort mission... that didn't sound so bad. He caught up to Kathy and voiced this sentiment.

She gave him a weary smile. "Well, I hope so, Scrappy. I think we need a big score, and escort can pay well based on the value of the cargo being protected."

"Yeah." Chen glanced over his shoulder at Samesh, who stood alone in the room, gripping his head as he mouthed something to himself. "I think the boss needs it more than anyone."

"He's been like this before," Kathy reassured him, running her hands along Chen's shoulders. "Before you joined, we were in dire straits, and Samesh was about to snap. But he held it together like he always does, and now we've got you."

Chen smiled back. "Kathy, I'm hardly the new guy anymore. Four years counts for something."

Kathy's smile grew stronger. "Try eight. That'll teach you a few things about this outfit."

"Okay, you got me there."

Kathy clapped a hand on Chen's shoulder and went on ahead, winking over her shoulder. "See you planetside, Scrappy. If your _Panther_ doesn't fall apart on the way down."

"Just as long as your _Grasshopper_ 's fat arse doesn't crack under the G-forces. That rust bucket won't last forever, Kathy..."

"It'll last as long as I do," Kathy said mysteriously, waving good-bye just before she rounded the corner to her bunk.

Chen went the other way and barely noticed when Herb Einsbach, the _Trebuchet_ 's pilot, caught up and cuffed his shoulder. "Damn, Scrap, when are you and Kathy gonna make it official?"

Chen scowled. "You and Jimmy have been pestering me about that for three weeks solid."

"For good reason, my man." Herb puffed out his chest. "I know Kathy and what she wants. I think her bunk gets kinda lonely at times."

"Do tell. Or don't."

"Look, Scrap, life's too short for keeping yourself all wrapped up in that shell of yours," Herb said genially. "Maybe that's how they do it in the Capellan slice of civilization. Wouldn't know. Never been there. But you gotta be honest about what you really want, or you might... well..."

Chen made an amused noise. "What, end up like Samesh?"

"No one would want that."

Both men stared at each other, then burst out laughing. It felt much better than Chen expected.

"I'll... well, we'll see where the universe leads," Chen said as he stopped outside his private quarters. He tapped in the code and the rickety door slid open. "Heart and all."

"I'm rootin' for you, kid." Herb slapped Chen on the back and walked off.

"You're only four months older than me! I've seen your dossier!" Chen hollered at the man's retreating back. Herb didn't respond.

 _Some people..._ Chen stepped into his bunk and wondered vaguely what his old CCAF officers would think of this. They'd probably have sentiments impossible to translate for the rest of the Werewolves crew...

*o*o*o*o*

 _ **Trade Highway, Wasteland, Tumble Rock**_

 _ **Taurian Concordat**_

 _ **December 14, 3045**_

"This is Wolf Four, reporting in," Chen said for his sixth hourly update. Although his _Panther_ 's heat gauge was irritated by the ambient heat around it (45 degrees Celsius), Chen had had not occasion to fire his blistering-hot PPC or his SRM 4 launcher, so with those gun muzzles cold, his light 'Mech hadn't gotten higher than token heat for the duration of the escort mission. He checked the time: 15:44, just as expected, given the timing of his update.

"Good," came Brigitte's voice from her _Shadow Hawk_. Sunlight glinted off the muzzle of its shoulder-mounted autocannon 5. "Just keep your eyes sharp, Werewolves. Sometimes bandits give an escort team time to get complacent and bored before making their move."

"Yeah, we know," Herb said casually. His _Trebuchet_ hopped over a boulder and landed heavily on its feet, bending at the knees. It jogged to catch back up with the lance. "No sweat, Wolf One. I won't let no Taurian creeps get by me."

"Speaking of sweat," Kathy said, "remind me not to take an escort mission on a desert world with an old cooling vest like this one. This is awful."

Chen knew what she meant. Samesh sometimes cut corners with his mercenary gang, and that meant that some equipment went too long without replacement, sometimes stuff like cooling vests or joint actuators, but no one dared ask him where the saved money was going. People in general had learned not to ask Samesh anything.

At least it was quiet out here.

"This is Viper One, reporting in to Jackson's Werewolves," came a man's pleasant voice on the general comm. "All clear over here, friends. No sign of trouble."

The other mercenary gang on this escort mission, the Ruby Wizards (what a name), had a 'Mech lance and two lances of _Warrior_ VTOLs, and they trotted on the convoy's right flank, while Jackson's Werewolves covered the left flank. The convoy itself was a chain of ten heavily armored, wheeled trucks that trundled along the three-lane highway, going at a steady 64 kph, slow enough for everyone involved to keep pace, although Kathy's weary _Grasshopper_ noticeably creaked and groaned with the continued effort. Anthony Pubbles sometimes said that Kathy's _Grasshopper_ sounded just like the old screen door at his grandparents' countryside house. Kathy had never found reason to contradict him.

Out here, there was just sun, rock, and sand to keep everyone company, and although it was tedious, it beat having bandits blow apart the convoy and thus lead to Samesh blowing up at his MechWarriors. And by now, the convoy drew within an hour's travel to the capital city and the spaceport. Chen was already fantasizing about the cold mixed drinks he and the other Werewolves would enjoy at the first bar they found, sleazy or not.

Brigitte's _Shadow Hawk_ looked up. "Oh, no. Is that...?"

Chen saw it, too: a _Union_ -class DropShip, and it was bound not for the looming capital city, but rather, the vessel was burning hard on an intercept trajectory.

"Bandits?" Herb blurted.

Brigitte snorted. "Bandits who can afford their own DropShip ain't really bandits." She spoke up. "Wolf One to Den Mother."

"This is Den Mother," came Samesh's tense voice. "What is it, ground team?"

"Inbound DropShip!" Brigitte said tightly, and her _Shadow Hawk_ balled both of its metallic hands into fists. "It's on an intercept trajectory. We won't make it to the spaceport like this without a fight."

"Shit!" Samesh muttered something to himself before giving orders. "Hail them, just in case. They obviously know you're there. Might as well test the waters first. Avoid combat if possible! You're 100% exposed out there."

"Roger that. Wolf One out." Brigitte kept her 'Mech going at a steady pace, headed right for the _Union_ as it started touching down near the highway about three kilometers ahead.

"Suppose they're mercenaries?" came Viper One. "Hired by a rival company to raid these goods?"

"Corporate privateers. Just what we need." Brigitte's comm crackled as she expanded the range of her communications to include the newcomers. "This is the 'Mech commander of Jackson's Werewolves! I demand that you identify yourself and your mission here!"

There was a few seconds of silence, but then the _Union_ 's cargo bay door lowered and a full company of well-maintained 'Mechs stepped out in tight formation.

Chen's gut clenched. _They look like a Great House's elite troops! We'll be lucky to walk out of here alive._ He felt Mei Hanfan's Little Dragon charm against his chest, but right now, it was just a carved wooden disk, and those were twelve tough-looking 'Mechs.

Finally, the lead 'Mech among the newcomers, an _Orion_ , stepped forward. "I am Captain Nicholas Tallen of the Davion Border Security Team, second company. We know who you are, Jackson's Werewolves, Ruby Wizards. We demand that you stand down at once and step away from the convoy."

"Uh... they sure as hell act like bandits," Kathy muttered on the comm. "What's the call here, Wolf One? Are these guys legit?"

"I've heard of this," Brigitte said in awe. "House Davion recently revamped its border security by developing agencies to scout and defend Federated Commonwealth worlds from the Periphery's factions."

"And this is one such force?" Chen asked. "Are you saying that the Davions won't let the Rockwell Corporation send civilian manufactured goods into FedCom space? Why?"

"Do not come too close!" Captain Tallen spread his _Orion_ 's arms wide, and his eleven companions likewise held their guns at the ready. Although the mercenaries outnumbered them, these were all medium to assault 'Mechs, and no doubt their pilots were well trained. And they had that DropShip as backup...

"Why are you doing this?" Brigitte demanded. "Our employer told us nothing about this, nor did my boss!"

"Because normally, we would have no need for this," Captain Tallen said. "But the Rockwell Corporation is not what you think it is, mercenaries. You are making a mistake. Step away from the convoy at once!"

"O-of course," came Viper One's voice. At his command, the Ruby Wizards broke away from the convoy and assembled two hundred meters away, not daring to take another step forth.

"Wolf One?" Chen prompted her. "We can't fight that company alone."

"Nor will we." Brigitte sighed. "Werewolves, on me." She jogged two hundred meters away from the convoy, and the rest of her lance, plus the armored tanks and VTOL lance, assembled on her.

"Very good," came Captain Tallen's voice as the convoy ground to a halt. "You're smart."

Brigitte huffed on the comm. "What was that talk about us making a mistake, if I may ask, Captain?"

"A detailed report has been sent to your boss," the Captain said. "Suffice it to say that the Rockwell Corporation is a shell company... being used by the biggest smuggling and human trafficking racket in Taurian space. You're escorting nearly three hundred human slaves."

Chen felt his heart freeze. _What! No..._ He turned and glared at the ten parked trucks. If this Captain and his intel were right, he was escorting kidnapped and abused people? And he was about to deliver them into FedCom space, where they would never see their families again?

"Your intel is good?" Brigitte asked, her voice shaking.

"Very," Captain Tallen said impatiently. "Our recon division investigated and confirmed everything. It's Code Gamma. We bring out the big guns for Code Gamma."

Samesh's voice erupted on the comm. "This is a trick!" he cried. "Border security my ass! The timing is too perfect. They're bandits! Smoke 'em!"

"With what, boss?" Brigitte demanded. "The Ruby Wizard already stood down. We don't stand a snowball's chance in hell against that company."

"We have to complete the mission," Samesh hissed. "I'll contact local authorities and call for reinforcements. These bandits are holding us up in broad daylight!"

"What, are you saying this isn't a border security team?" Kathy demanded. "They look pretty well equipped, chief. Ain't no bandits I ever saw."

"They said they sent a report to you," Chen told Samesh. "Have you received it?"

"I..." Samesh's voice seemed to deflate. "I can't let anything interfere with the mission. The payment... we need it!"

Chen repeated the situation back to Captain Tallen, but he didn't expect much.

"Your contract is from a shell corporation controlled by slavers," the Captain said coldly. "Don't expect a refund from them just 'cause we're on to them. You're fighting for the wrong side, Werewolves. I can't change that."

"No! We need the money!" Samesh roared. "If the Rockwell Corporation won't do it, the Davion security forces had better do it! Someone! Anyone!"

"We got duped, chief!" Kathy fired back. "It's over. All we can do is pack up and go."

"Not without the money!" Samesh shrieked. "I spent my last C-Bills burning fuel to get us out here for contracts!"

"So we'll find another one," Kathy told him.

"No one tricks me and gets away with it!" Samesh grated. "No one! Get me my money, MechWarriors!"

"You've lost it," Kathy hissed. "You've totally fucking lost it this time, Samesh."

"Don't stand down, you cowards!" Samesh babbled. "Get the Ruby Wizards to help! Escort the goods and get the damn money!"

"If the intel is solid, we're escorting _human slaves_!" Brigitte cried. "We should bail out on principle alone!"

"I ain't no slaver," Herb said, his voice shaking. "I knew we shouldn't have come here..."

"No! No!" Samesh's meltdown was clear for all to hear. "We're on our last dime, Werewolves! Don't let the Davions or Taurians or anyone else make a fool of me!"

"And why is that?" Kathy demanded. "Our last dime? What's going on?"

Samesh breathed hard into the comm. "Shut up! Shut up, Kathy! You're my most loyal warrior. Make the others obey me!"

"I'd sooner sell this _Grasshopper_ and buy a five-acre plot for crops."

"Jackson's Werewolves!" Captain Tallen barked. "Will you formally renege on your contract and submit to an examination by my superiors? If not, you will not leave this system intact. This whole situation is a border security nightmare."

"Whatever you want, Captain," Brigitte snapped. "Just let us take care of our boss first."

 _That's right,_ Chen realized. This mission was a bust. That was clear. But now Samesh was Jackson's Werewolves biggest enemy.


	17. Chapter 17

**Wherever the Universe Takes Me**

by Ulquiorra9000

 **Chapter 17**

 _ **DropShip**_ **Wampus Cat** _ **, Tumble Rock Orbit**_

 _ **Taurian Concordat**_

 _ **December 14, 3045**_

Chen and the others knew exactly what they were in for when they were summoned to the conference room on board the _Wampus Cat_ , but that didn't prepare him for Samesh's seething rage in that rusty, console-lit room.

"You betrayed me! Everyone betrayed me!" Samesh stalked back and forth, his face wild as he swept his arms across data tablets, coffee mugs, pens, anything on the tables or computer terminals that he could knock onto the pitted floor. His gaunt face was alive with rage, his jaw unshaved, his normally stylish hair sticking out everywhere. He jabbed an accusing finger at his four MechWarriors. "I hired you shitheads to fight for me! That's the way this outfit operates! And now... the money... the money...!"

Chen watched his boss seize his hair and nearly tear it out, the man trembling from head to foot. This wasn't someone he could follow. Not someone he could take orders from.

Samesh kept pacing, breath hissing from between clenched teeth. "Kathy! Herb! Brigitte! Chen! I've been betrayed! We're deep in the red, and this is what you do for me! We're ruined! Fucking _ruined_!" He kicked a leg of the hologram-screen table and winced, but didn't stop pacing.

"Hold on!" Brigitte stalked forward, tossing her wavy blonde hair, hands on her curvy hips. "I think you owe us an explanation, Samesh! Deep in the red? Since when? Just last month, you told us we were getting ahead!"

Chen wasn't prepared for Samesh's open hand to smack Brigitte's head to the side. He felt a surge of adrenaline.

"Shut up!" Samesh pointed right at Brigitte, awkwardly backing up a few steps. "We might not find any more contracts around here. We don't even have the fuel to get to a JumpShip or the cash to pay for a jump into FedCom space!"

Brigitte was breathing hard, running a hand over the cheek her boss had slapped. "You get that one free," she warned him. "Now tell me: are we bankrupt?"

"We gotta get a job! Anything!" Samesh hollered as he paced in circles, tugging at his hair again. "The local merc review boards are unforgiving, yeah... the Taurians and their damned mistrust of outsiders, we were lucky to get that far, and I don't have a lot of contacts around here... no..."

He was obviously gone, wrapped up in his own insanity. Whether from stress, perfectionism, anger, or possibly narcotics, Chen couldn't possibly say. Possibly all those, and more.

He felt trapped.

"Samesh, stop it! We're the Werewolves! We always find a way." Brigitte lunged forward and held her boss's shoulders to make him stop pacing. Big mistake.

"No!" Samesh's fist shot out and caught Brigitte in the throat. Although a tough fighter, the blonde woman couldn't handle a strike to the throat like that; no one could. She stumbled back, and barely stayed upright when Kathy hurried forward to catch her.

Chen stepped forward, fists clenched at his side. "That's it. You're dead."

Samesh fought back with maniacal desperation, but Chen had years of unarmed combat training from the CCAF's finest instructors guiding him. That nation's army was hanging on by the skin of its teeth, and its warriors were drilled with every skill needed to defend Liao space from the Davion demons on the other side of the border.

Now Chen had his own demons.

Chen parried a sloppy right hook from Samesh and stepped to the side to line up the perfect strike. He was an expert in the Wing Chun style, which emphasized simultaneous offense and defense, and forward pressure in a short space. Just as Chen parried Samesh's blow, his other fist smashed into the man's jaw, knocking his head to the side.

Stunned, Samesh stumbled back, and Chen focused hard to keep his cool and fight as a drilled professional. Two vertical jabs knocked Samesh further off balance, and Chen had no trouble deflecting a desperate jab from the right. Another hammer blow sent Samesh sprawling to the scratched, pitted metal floor in a heap.

Chen towered over the pummeled man. "We're not following you anymore," Chen thundered. "It's all over, Samesh. Get out of here."

"This... is... m-mutiny," Samesh huffed through a bloody mouth, his eyes still wild. "S-someone's gotta... stop you..."

"Let's get him out of here," Kathy said, her voice shaking. "Dump him in the desert. Whatever. We can't keep him here."

Chen glanced over at Kathy and the stunned Brigitte and scowled. "Fine. Let's just -"

He stopped when he felt something wet and warm spreading across his chest. Chen slowly turned his head and looked down at the combat knife that Samesh had buried in his gut.

"What the..." Chen had been injured before, and endured pain both at the Capella War College and on the field. But he never thought a superior would try to kill him. Samesh sat kneeling, holding the knife, panting.

"Missed," Samesh grunted. "Meant... the heart... I missed..."

Chen crumpled and fell backwards, his vision narrowing as he only vaguely registered the stab wound through the haze of adrenaline. His heart was racing like crazy, his breathing rapid and shallow. He barely had the strength to crane his neck and watch as Kathy drew her needler pistol, an old Mauser and Gray model, and placed its muzzle at Samesh's forehead.

"Fuck you."

Blood blasted everywhere as Samesh's head jerked back from the impact of hundreds of flechette shards slicing his cranium apart. He was dead before he hit the floor with a thump, sprawled on his back not unlike Chen. Except the bastard wasn't breathing.

"Chen! Hold on!" Herb, normally carefree and teasing his lancemates, had a grave look on his face as he knelt by his lancemate. "I know a little first aid. Here..." He tore off his leather jacket and shirt, and tore the T-shirt into strips to use as bandages.

"Don't pull it out," Kathy advised him, also kneeling by Chen. "It'll be worse -"

"Don't you think I know that?" Herb snapped. "I'm just bandaging the area around the knife to control the bleeding. Someone get the medical staff in here. Scrappy needs a stretcher ASAP."

Chen felt lucky that the knife was placed too low to hit a lung, but he decided to save his energy and stay quiet as Herb applied the bandages. With help, he barely had the strength to arch his back enough for Herb to loop the bandages around him, and now that the adrenaline was starting to wear off, hot, overwhelming pain started radiating from the wound. Chen sucked in a tight breath and bared his teeth, willing himself to endure. His vision and hearing were going fast as he allowed himself to pass out. He registered Kathy hurrying to alert the medical staff on the nearest intercom, her face alive with panic as she spoke. Chen felt very flattered for some reason.

*o*o*o*o*

Chen next woke up facing the eggshell-white ceiling of the _Wampus Cat_ 's infirmary, laying squarely in one of the ten beds, a heart rate monitor beeping next to him while and IV bag fed him a drip. His head ached and felt fuzzy, but he was alive, and Samesh was not. So that was the good news.

How much time had passed?

"H... hello?" Chen called out weakly. He coughed and sat up slowly, wincing at the dulled but still serious pain in his chest. He was bare-chested, his abdomen wrapped in silky white gauze. He looked around and found a water bottle. He chugged half of it in one go and pressed the call button on the table nearby.

It was Kathy who came, and Chen felt a rush of relief and gratitude when his lancemate stepped in. She looked a bit disheveled, her hair unbrushed and faint dark circles under her eyes, but she beamed when she saw Chen awake and alert.

"Scrappy." Kathy hurried over to his side and settled into the seat next to his bed. "How are you?"

"Well enough so my War College instructors would yell at me that I should have gotten back on my feet yesterday. Ouch..." Chen winced and lay back down.

"Don't push it," Kathy said urgently. "You were stabbed deep, and your stomach and intestines were cut. You're lucky the blade missed your liver, or we'd have given you your 21 gun salute by now."

"I just... if I was more alert -"

Kathy shook her head with a weary smile. "There's the Capellan in you, Scrappy. Never too hurt or tired to keep fighting when there's something you want."

Chen coughed again. "Sorry. But I was trained to fight to my last bloody breath. We had too many powerful enemies back then to take a break."

"I swear, the way they must have pushed you..." Kathy surprised Chen when she leaned closer and tenderly ran a hand through his hair. "Sometimes I wonder how you would have turned out if you went into music or real estate or something. Some life where you weren't pushed so hard to fight and never feel."

Chen blinked. "Sounds like you've had some restless nights while I was in here."

"I just..." Kathy made a frustrated noise. "I was a bad kid growing up, Scrappy, getting into fights and smuggling illegal shit into school. Turned my life around just in time to train as a MechWarrior and run with mercenary gangs." She gave him a somber look. "I was a bad egg, but why do I get the feeling you're the purest soul on the ship? And look how you ended up."

Chen opened his mouth to respond but realized that he wasn't sure what to say. Was it the shock of Samesh's attack, and Chen's near death experience? Or was it the strain of the Werewolves going bankrupt? That's what Brigitte seemed to think...

Kathy shook her head again and ran her hands over her face. "Sorry. It's been a long five days, Scrappy. Things are a real mess around here. We've all been scrambling to update the MRB on everything, negotiating with the Davion border security agency, the shock of working for slavers... and did I mention I was worried sick about you?"

Chen made a self-depreciating smile. "I'm flattered you fit me into all that."

"Dammit, Chen!" Kathy erupted, then she let out a long, slow breath, watching the far wall. "Look: Samesh, that bastard... he was spending our cash like crazy on special access to channels tof ind new jobs, but they never led anywhere. And he kept borrowing C-Bills from bad creditors, racking up serious debt and fees, and he tried gambling to pay it off... that's right, gambling! And he lost even more. He was right, you know... we don't have the cash to get outta this system. Brigitte and Jimmy are trying to negotiate with local transport agencies to figure something out. It's been hell."

Chen lowered his gaze, realizing that his stint with Jackson's Werewolves was at its lowest point. The boss was dead, Chen was stabbed, the debt was staggering, there were no new jobs lined up...

"At least we're all still here," he found himself saying.

Kathy forced a laugh. "Sounds like you're feeling a little better, Scrappy." Some of the color finally seemed to return to her face. "Damn, I'm glad I met you. You're one of the sane ones."

"I swear I'll do what I can to get the Werewolves operational again."

"Yeah. That's what you do, right? Fight on even when you're broken to pieces?"

"You really don't like the CCAF, I take it."

"I read your dossier, Scrappy. I know what your service there was like." Kathy chewed her lower lip. "Losing your whole company in '40, getting discharged... I can't even imagine it."

"Count yourself lucky." Chen toyed with the wooden "Little Dragon" charm around his neck. "This is all I have left of her. My lancemate, who made it for me."

"She must have meant a lot." Kathy looked like she was hedging on something, and she was leaning closer to Chen again, seemingly without realizing it. Her eyes were fixed on his.

"They all did. And I remember her most clearly." Chen swallowed. "But don't worry too much about it. I know what it can do to a person to get stuck in the past. The Death Commandos are finished. I'm a Werewolf now."

"Yeah, I..." Kathy gripped the bed's side railing and suddenly leaned close to his face, her lips parting. She stopped an inch away and just now seemed to realize what she was doing.

Chen felt a thrill. "Kathy, I..."

The other MechWarrior sat back up, trying to look indifferent as she tried to comb her hair with her fingers. She cleared her throat. "I'm sorry."

"Don't be."

Kathy made a dry laugh. "You just have to be such a rock, don't you?"

Chen shrugged. "Rocks can get carved into beautiful shapes, given enough time."

"Maybe we should dial back the morphine a bit." Kathy seemed vaguely annoyed as she got to her feet. "I gotta go. Lots of shit to untangle." She strode for the door.

"Kathy!" Chen cried.

Kathy stopped at the door and turned to face him.

Chen suddenly felt more vulnerable than he had in a long time. "Promise you won't leave me."

Kathy made an embarrassed chuckle as she flashed him another smile. The she slid the door open, and she was gone.

*o*o*o*o*

Chen thought the day's surprises were over, but he was wrong when, just after dinner that evening in the medical ward, he got another visitor.

"Hello?" Chen said, confused when a slightly pudgy man in a light blue, button-up shirt and black slacks timidly stepped into the room. He had short, dark blond hair and a well trimmed goatee, and plastic frame glasses.

The man glanced at Chen and loosely clenched and unclenched a fist by his side a few times, as though testing the strength of his fingers. "Um... hi," he said, looking down. "I mean, can I come in?"

"Join me."

"O-okay." The man awkwardly turned around and made sure the door was tightly slid shut before shuffling over to Chen, still making that odd gesture with his hand. "I-I'm Peter Andrews," he blurted out, a bit too loudly. "Th-the chief strategist and data analyst, with the command and intelligence team."

 _So this is Peter._ Chen nodded. "Right. Samesh -"

Peter flinched.

"What's the matter?"

Peter looked as though he were trying to make himself look small, even though he was on the bigger side of things. "He yelled at me. It was really loud."

"I'm sorry. That son of a bitch put us all in a real bad spot." Chen huffed. "I meant, I heard a lot about you from... our former boss... but I didn't think I'd meet you in person. Sam - the old boss said that you don't do crowds."

"But it's just you."

"Yes?"

"The old boss was right. I don't like crowds. It's too loud. I can't tell what everyone is saying." Peter continued his loose fist clenching motion as he stared at Chen's knees. "It hurts my head, and I can't think straight, so I have to stay in my office where it's quiet, and I can think."

Chen realized that indeed, Peter was a bit of an odd one, but a harmless and probably decent man all the same. "How about me? Am I decent company?"

Peter nodded jerkily. "Yeah. It's easier to talk when there's... just one person." He pursed his lips. "I just wanted to meet you," he blurted out, again rather loudly.

"And it's nice to meet you, Peter." Chen offered a hand, and Peter contemplated it before he timidly shook it.

"Did anyone tell you about our finances?" Peter said in a rush. He relaxed his fist and instead bounced up and down slightly on the balls of his feet. "The old boss, he... he accrued significant debt, in fact he was in a cycle of debt from some of the most horrible creditors I ever saw. I think he was dealing with more than one interstellar mafia out there, and they're bound to be looking for him... and now that he's gone, well, they might come looking for us, and we can't even afford to leave this system, never mind the Concordat. B-but Brigitte and I are working something out, don't worry, so I wanted to let you know that we'll be okay. That's a promise." He forced a smile and offered the thumbs up.

Chen returned the thumbs up. "Thanks, Peter. The old boss really fucked us up. But I'm counting on you."

"Thanks." Peter swallowed, then sat on the same seat Kathy had taken earlier. "Is it weird if I said that I was curious about you, Chen? I mean, we haven't had someone from the Capellan Confederation here, and you were a _Death Commando_! That's impressive. And you have a good variety of skills, like you can interpret for English and Mandarin Chinese and Russian, and you're more familiar with Liao space than any of us."

"Hey, I do what I can to contribute. I'm pitching in."

"Pitching into what?"

Chen shrugged. "What I mean is, I'm going to help out however I can. Whoever takes charge next, I'll lend all my skills to the boss."

"Oh, Jimmy Nolan was chosen as the boss," Peter said. "It was unanimous."

Chen bristled. "And I didn't get a vote?"

Peter winced. "Well, we had to decide very soon, so we could have legal representation with the Davion border forces and the MRB. Kathy said how she knew you admired Jimmy, so she voted for him in your place."

"Right." Chen finished off his glass of water. "Works for me."

"I'm from here," Peter suddenly said.

Chen set his empty water glass down. "You were born on Tumble Rock?"

"N-no, I mean I was born on New Vandenburg. Here in the Concordat." Peter made an awkward smile as he kept pressing his right thumb and forefinger in a regular beat. "Did anyone ever tell you that? I-I worked in the private sector for a data storage and analysis corporation, but I decided after eight years that I was finally ready for something new. So I, uh... one thing led to another, and I started working for the old boss in the autumn of 3038." He paused. "And if I didn't, I never would have met Kathy and Brigitte and Chen and the others."

"You met them, too?"

"Oh, a little," Peter said awkwardly. "When I felt ready. I knew all about their lives, and I was ready to see their faces in person after a while, just to see what it's like. Did you know that Kathy has a fear of birds, and she never learned to swim?"

Chen blinked. "She never mentioned it. Good thing I never took her to a pet store."

"Well, of course not, because she has ornithophobia. The fear of birds."

"Right." Chen decided that Peter wasn't the biggest fan of jokes or figures of speech. No big deal. "You know all about us, then?"

"Brigitte was nicknamed The Little Valkyrie while serving in the KungsArme," Peter volunteered. "And Jimmy majored in theater in college, and he was the oldest of four. And Anthony once applied to become a licensed dog breeders. He wanted to breed Siberian Huskies on New Terra."

Chen nodded. "Impressive. What about me?"

"You're allergic to dogs and coconuts," Peter said matter-of-factly, "and based on your tentative college applications from Capella in 3029, you once considered starting a culinary career."

Chen couldn't help a grin. "Spot on, Peter. Yeah, my uncle was an expert chef and owned three restaurants. My parents would take my anywhere for my birthday dinner when I was growing up, but I only wanted my uncle's cooking. I really admired him, and how happy his patrons were. Food brings people together." He decided to try one more joke. "Unlike military rations."

Peter winced.

"Never mind." Chen cleared his throat. "Damn, it feels like a whole different life. Hell, it really was. But that doesn't mean I won't remember the good times once in a while. Keeps you going, you know?"

Peter focused on the finger pressing on his right hand. "S-sure." He suddenly stood up. "It was nice to meet you," he said in a rush, offering his hand.

Pleasantly surprised, Chen shook the other man's hand. "Likewise, Peter. Keep up the good work. Let's get this outfit back on its feet."

Peter nodded absent-mindedly, turned, and scampered out of the medical bay, gently closing the door behind him.

Chen lay back on his pillows and decided that given the shitty situation he and the others faced, he felt relatively comfortable right now. Whatever lay ahead... damn it all, he'd be ready. They all would.


	18. Chapter 18

**Wherever the Universe Takes Me**

by Ulquiorra9000

 **Chapter 18**

 _ **Dover Cliff, Tumble Rock**_

 _ **Taurian Concordat**_

 _ **December 25, 3045**_

Chen was still in recovery after his fight against Samesh, but he was determined to personally take part in the Werewolves' difficult journey in this region of civilized space. He convinced the _Wampus Cat_ 's medical crews to give him a few extra painkillers, fresh bandages, and a torso brace so that he could step off the DropShip and take a ground car to Dover Cliff, the capital city of Tumble Rock, and help his fellow Werewolves face their next challenge.

"You didn't have to do this, Scrappy," Brigitte said again in the cramped ground car (a chauffeur was driving). Concern colored her voice and her blue eyes glittered. "I understand your loyalty, but..."

Chen winced as the ground car went of a bump. "Look, I promise I'll keep myself nice and horizontal in bed after this. I have to see with my own eyes what is happening to us."

Brigitte and Herb shared a look. "Suit yourself, Scrap," Herb said. "But it won't be pretty."

Neither was the capital city; unlike the gleaming, tidy metropolises Chen saw in his native Capellan Confederation, Dover Cliff was a haphazard collection of buildings clearly built in different centuries from different contractors and with different standards of quality. Some of the buildings, unless Chen's eyes were deceiving him, were in fact old colony ships repurposed into skyscrapers and hotels, and the standard color among the buildings ranged from "BattleMech armpit rust" to "soggy dirt."

But at least it was civilization.

"We're almost there," the chauffeur said. "The rest of your crew will meet you at the mercenary hiring hall. Hang on."

Chen took this opportunity to relax and watch the buildings slip by on this busy city street. It was a warm evening, and countless neon signs were flickering to life in combined English, Spanish, French, and Russian, and a number of advertisement screens showed off everything from local diners to home humidifier repair to the newest _Immortal Warrior_ movie (" _Immortal Warrior 6: This Time It Isn't Personal."_ )

Chen actually cracked a grin at that. Good old holovid dramas, giving kids across the Inner Sphere a thrilling and incredibly inaccurate peek into the MechWarrior life. He suspected that if holovids and recruitment posters told the truth, most BattleMechs would stand empty in hangars across the Inner Sphere.

"We're here," the ground car driver announced as the vehicle came to a halt under a large building's shadow. Chen blinked to snap himself back into the present. He had business to attend to.

Already, two more ground cars were parked nearby, and once Chen and his lancemates stepped into the barely air conditioned entrance hall, he met with members of the Jackson's Werewolves intel team (minus Peter, who didn't do crowds). The Werewolves gathered, gave each other a few tense nods, and headed deeper into the facility toward their assigned meeting room.

And just as Chen thought, things had gotten ugly.

"This is... quite the collection of debts, Werewolves," said an officer who represented the MRB's financial department. The man had a cleanly pressed uniform with shiny black boots and gloves, and he shook his head in dismay as he viewed the data on a notepad.

"We're prepared to -" Brigitte started.

The man turned the notepad around to show her the screen. "Pay _this_? Tall order, mercenary. Look at this."

Chen stepped forward to view the data with his fellows. His gut went cold when he saw the staggering debts Samesh had taken out from lenders and even local mafias throughout the Crucis March, Capellan March, and Taurian space. He even owed money to a shady credit union operating in the Isle of Skye in LyrCom space.

"I have representatives on screen from a few major credit lines," the man said. "Here they come now."

He pressed a button on the wall, and three video screens popped to life, showing three older individuals who did not look happy, one on each screen.

"Jackson's Werewolves," one of the creditors said, his brow furrowing. "I was intrigued to hear that Samesh Jackson was killed in... mutiny, was it?"

"Self-defense," Kathy snapped.

"All the same," the man said, unruffled, "you owe a substantial debt to all of us. That we cannot ignore or put off any longer."

"We're prepared to work with you," one of the intel team members said, stepping forward and tossing her bangs out of her eyes. "I have years of experience working with bankruptcy and loan cases in the civilian sector, as do my peers. Allow us to work with you."

One of the other creditors made a small, approving nod. "I see," she said. Judging by her east Asian looks and the decorative pins in her gray hair bun, she was operating from Capellan space, possibly the Victoria Commonality. "Let us see what we can do."

The next hour was spent with the struggling to keep the mercenary gang together against the pressure of their three biggest creditors, and a few times, it looked like the gang might get dissolved. Chen regretted coming here; he had no real diplomatic or financial skills to offer, and hearing his new family fighting on its last leg felt worse than any drug-numbed stab wound. He had somehow survived his Death Commando unit getting shot out from under him; was he about to lose another family because of outstanding credit? _If we go under, where can I go from here? Will I have to work to pay my way out of the system?_ Although Taurian space was close to the Confederation, Chen felt like he was on the opposite side of the universe.

Until...

"This is the best I can do," the third creditor said in his accented voice (maybe Slovenian?). "We can act as a single entity, a single creditor, and also consolidate your debt to us." He adjusted his suit's collar and wiped his brow. "I can put this offer on the table, Werewolves: you will hand over all of your 'Mech and vehicle assets, and you keep your name and your status as an MRB-sanctioned mercenary gang."

There were cries of protest, and Chen wanted to join in. Give up their 'Mechs? He didn't want to face Dispossession again! But at this rate, he'd be lucky not to become a slave in some mine.

"I am not done!" the man on the screen snapped. "The finer details will have to be negotiated. But I am thinking that if you grant us your BattleMechs and your vehicles, you can prove your honesty to us, and we will grant you some leeway in return. The value of the assets will be deduced from your debts. Overall, I am thinking that you are lucky to get this deal."

Kathy looked pale as she stepped forward and cleared her throat. "E... everything? We can't fight with duct tape and prayers."

"That's right. We need some baseline assets," Herb added, folding his beefy arms. His dark eyes glinted. "Look, I can give up my 'Mech. _Very reluctantly,_ but I can do it. But we have two lances of APCs and a lance of _Warrior_ VTOLs. Without those, we're dirt."

"And APCs are so cheap, you'd get a net loss paying someone to melt them down for scrap," Kathy added. "Don't take our APCs or _Warrior_ s. We can't fight without them."

"And anyway," Brigitte added, "even if we sold them, we'd buy new ones ASAP. That's a guarantee. Make this easier for us."

The creditors thought it over. "This is a fair request," the Capellan creditor finally said. "We understand. All APC and VTOL assets will remain in the possession of Jackson's Werewolves. But your BattleMechs and armored tanks are forfeit, do you understand me? Pilot them to the nearest spaceport so they can be handed over and shipped straight to us."

"If you even _think_ about fleeing in those 'Mechs or tanks," the first creditor warned, "we will work with the MRB that you will never get work again. If you don't get killed by bounty hunters first."

Jimmy Nolan, the new commander, had been oddly silent, perhaps testing to see how well his subordinates could handle themselves. Finally, he spoke up. Like Herb, he had his arms folded, but he also had a casual grin on his chiseled features. "Hey, relax," he said. "We're an honest lot. I mean, the MRB gives us a B rating. I will see to it that our 'Mechs and armor assets are delivered to your doorstep."

"Very well," the accented man said. He sniffed. "But there will be other stipulations. Chief among them is that anytime we need work from you, you will come to us immediately and fight to the best of your ability."

"I see." Jimmy's grin widened. "You get VIP access to us."

"Do not take this lightly," the Capellan creditor said sternly. "In such cases, you will work for us at a discounted rate, and the payment will be deducted from your debt. And if we ever determine that you perform inadequately on a job, bounty hunters shall chase you to the ends of known space."

"Again with the bounty hunters," Jimmy said. "It ain't gonna come to that. My MechWarrior aren't half bad with a gun, especially not Kathy and Scrappy. Security, smash and grab jobs, or even if you want _us_ to be the bounty hunters... we'll get it done. And I assume we're free to find our own contracts whenever possible?"

"So long as you take jobs from reputable clients," the accented creditor said. "And you will require our approval for all loans or equipment acquisition. No C-Bills will change hands without us allowing it."

Jimmy shrugged. "Fair's fair."

"That said," the first creditor said, "we will grant you enough C-Bills to leave Taurian space, and to visit the rimward regions of the Inner Sphere, and even the Magistracy of Canopus, should you choose."

"Thanks."

"Thank us after your debts are cleared," the Capellan creditor said darkly. "You are lucky, Werewolves, to emerge from this meeting with your name and brand intact. Your old commander severely sabotaged you with his behavior."

"Don't sweat it," Jimmy said. "We're tough. We'll adapt."

"Then we look forward to doing business with you," the first creditor said. "Behave yourselves, Werewolves. Signing out."

His screen went dark, and the other two soon followed suit. The room's lights, which had dimmed for the screens' benefit, came back on to full force.

Jimmy clapped his hands together. "Well, son of a gun," he said. "My command of a mercenary outfit will last more than two weeks after all. The gang's still here."

"Didn't you hear them?" one of the intel members groaned. "We lost almost everything, Jimmy!"

"We're back to square one," added Sentaro Tsuchakov, one of the platoon commanders. "Maybe even square _negative_ one."

"But we're still in the game," Jimmy said, raising his voice a little. "Enough complaining, crew! I ain't leading a party of quitters. We're gonna dust ourselves off and prove that Jackson's Werewolves still have their bite."

"Speaking of which," Kathy added. "Shouldn't we change the name? With that bastard dead..."

Jimmy shook his head. "Changing the name involves a ton of paperwork. _And_ it requires a service charge I don't feel like paying. And think about it..." His face grew somber. "Motherfucker that he was, Samesh built this outfit with his own two hands, and it's his legacy. We gotta remember where we came from."

There was a general murmur of assent, and Chen felt much the same way. Things were grim... but in a way, the Werewolves had cheated death.

"Dismissed, Werewolves," Jimmy barked. "We gotta get those assets to the spaceport. Enjoy your last cruise, MechWarriors."

As the Werewolves filed out of the room, Jimmy wandered over to Chen and clapped a hand onto his shoulder.

"Heard you stood up to Samesh when he snapped," he said. "I wanna thank you, Scrappy."

"I had to."

"Still..." Jimmy gave Chen's should a fond shake. "I owe you a drink. Hell, make it two. I think we oughta hit the bars tonight and put things in perspective."

"D'you think I should drink in my condition?"

Jimmy winked. "Just drink with us, Scrappy. If anything goes wrong, I'll pay your medical bills myself."

Chen managed a watery grin. "Deal."

*o*o*o*o*

Just to be on the safe side, Chen only had two mixed drinks when the Werewolves went bar hopping across Dover Cliff, so he didn't feel much different when he woke up the next morning in the hotel where the Werewolves shacked up for the night (it was a long way to the _Wampus Cat_ ).

Chen rose from his bed and checked the time on the wall-mounted clock: 9:13 AM. Plenty of time to get ready to leave this miserable ball of sand and rock for good.

After downing a couple of breakfast bars from his pack, Chen put on a simple olive-colored T-shirt and headed into the hallway and checked the Werewolves' pager (a recent addition) for messages. Almost everyone was up by now, but unlike Chen, they had taken _full_ advantage of the bars and Dover Cliff's generous taxi system, so they'd need a little more time to shake off their hangovers and get ready to go. Chen, meanwhile, headed down the hall for door 314 and hesitated for just a second, his finger hovering over the knock button near the door frame.

He pressed it.

"Hello?" Kathy's voice said on the comm.

"It's me," Chen said. "Can I come in?"

"Uh... sure. Just a second."

The door slid open about ten seconds later, and Chen joined Kathy in her room. Her hair was a bit tangled and matted, but otherwise looked fine. She wore a black tank top and shorts, her feet bare. "Feeling a bit lonely?" she said with a weary smile. She didn't drink as much as Jimmy and Anthony did last night, but definitely more than Chen did.

"I guess you could say that." Chen suddenly felt foolish, but he was already here. He might as well get this out. "Kathy, about what happened in the infirmary two weeks ago -"

"What about it?" Kathy blurted out. She flushed slightly and toyed with a strand of her hair. "Don't tell me you've been agonizing over that?"

"Well..." Chen swallowed. "No. And I can tell you that the nightmares have stopped. I haven't had one in over a year."

Kathy busied herself with her duffel bag (or pretended to). "Yeah? That's good, isn't it?"

"Sure it is. And... Kathy, I still miss them. My old lancemates. But something feels different now, like I've had some... _weight_... taken off my shoulders."

Kathy stood up and turned to face him, smiling. "You think you've moved on, right? If you're feeling better, then I'm happy for you, Scrap. I mean... I've lost people, too. I know what it's like. But we can only move in one direction, after all."

She definitely looked bashful, and Chen found it pretty endearing. He cleared his throat and took a few steps closer. "Kathy, I -"

Kathy grabbed his shirt collar and brought him in for a slow, deep kiss. When they parted, Kathy gave him a gentle shove. "There, is that good enough for you?"  
Chen made a half amused, half exasperated noise. "You've always been a blunt one."

Kathy put her hands on her hips. "And _you've_ always been the stone-silent type, Scrappy. If you don't let anyone in here, someone else's gotta take care of things." She tapped her temple with a finger.

"It's just the way I was raised."

Kathy tossed her hair. "Is that a fact? Funny how often men make excuses not to open up."

Chen made a nervous smile. "Well, what do you want from me, Kathy?"

Kathy gave him a gentle shove. "How about you tell me that you love me, like how I love the hell out of _you_ , so we can quit screwing around and be honest with each other."

"We've had enough lies recently."

"We did." Kathy hesitated. "Your old lancemate... that Mei... you loved her, didn't you? Tell me the truth, Scrappy. Is that's what's screwing with your mind?"

This time, it was Chen who made the move. He took hold of Kathy's shoulders and returned the deep, longing kiss she had give him.

"I did," he told her. "But one direction, right? She's gone. You're here with me now."

Kathy's eyes were inscrutable. "And that's the truth, Chen? I don't want to compete with a ghost."

"No 'Scrappy.' You must be serious."

"Chen..."

Chen held her close. "You had a point, Kathy. I don't really open up enough." He leaned over and breathed in her ear. "I love you, Kathy. Stay with me."

Kathy squirmed to unfasten her comm device from her belt and pressed the button. "Hey Jimmy, I ain't feeling so good. Give me some time, will ya?"

Jimmy Nolan's voice crackled back. "Why don't you give _me_ some time? That fifth screwdriver was a bad idea..."

"Good old Jimmy." Kathy tossed her comm device aside and stepped away long enough to draw closed the plaid curtains. She turned back to face him with a cocky smile. "Get undressed, MechWarrior."

Chen didn't need any more prompting. He eagerly stripped off his shirt, revealing the bandages on his well-muscled chest. His heart thudded with longing, his nerves tingling.

"Oh yeah. Bastard nearly skewered you." Kathy took off her top and traced her finger down Chen's chest. "You'd better let me do the hard work." She guided him toward the queen-sized bed and eased him down.

Chen and Kathy were the last two Werewolves to assemble with the others to head back to the waiting _Wampus Cat_.


	19. Chapter 19

**Wherever the Universe Takes Me**

by Ulquiorra9000

 **Chapter 19**

 _ **Militia Outpost, Romulus**_

 _ **Lyran Commonwealth**_

 _ **May 8th, 3050**_

Chen knew he had a very important decision to make. Here he was with the Werewolves, stationed at a quiet base near a forest's edge, and night would soon fall. Out here, he had no backup, and no escape. He hunched forward and frowned in concentration, his Little Dragon charm hanging off his neck on its leather cord. A little sweat soaked into his olive green tank top.

"Take it easy, Scrappy," Kathy warned him. "Or this could be the end."

"Yeah. Watch your ass, Scrap," Jimmy Nolan added.

Chen nodded tightly. "I know that, I just..." He wiped his brow. "Okay." He passed two cards to the dealer. "I'll take two."

"Got it." The dealer, a younger man with the Romulus militia's fourth recon platoon, took the two cards and passed them.

Chen groaned when he saw that he received the king of hearts and the five of spades. What?! He didn't have even a three of a kind with this! And he'd betted so strongly at first... his C-Bills were as good as gone.

Draw poker was usually Chen's strongest variant of the game, but here, in the militia's barracks, Lady Luck had decided to waltz over to Jimmy, who had the fattest stack of C-BIlls and coins in front of him. Bastard.

Chen bet modestly once everyone had their cards, and with a wince, he revealed his hand of... nothing in particular. Meanwhile, Anthony Pubbles revealed his solid straight flush of spades. A wicked grin crossed the big man's lips as the entire crowd erupted in hooting and cheers.

"Son of a bitch!" Jimmy sighed and clapped a hand over his face. "Full house of two kings and two jacks. I was so damn sure..."

"Yeah, you _were_." Anthony chuckled deeply as he scooped up the money. "Your generosity will not be forgotten, commander."

Jimmy polished off his beer and tossed the bottle over his shoulder. "Let's see you get lucky again."

Chen snorted. "At this rate, I'll have to bow out or end up betting my undershorts."

Anthony chuckled again. "Keep your shorts on, Scrappy. Literally. Nights get cold around here, and I'd hate to see you freeze your balls off."

"Funny. So would I." Chen got up and gave Kathy a salute. "Try and avenge my C-Bills, Kath. I'm counting on you."

Kathy flashed him a smile. "I'll give it a shot."

Chen yawned and wandered off, wondering what was on the local civilian radio stations. Some of the troops from the Romulus militia had brought over a huge old radio set and had it tuned in to the "Top 50 Hit Tunes", and they were up to #7, an incredibly obnoxious song about a farmer whose dog learned to talk. Music was weird nowadays...

Then a very different radio came to life.

 _"...repeat, recalling all militia units to Romulus city! We are under attack by unknown forces! All units, report back to HQ immediately! We are under attack!"_

Chen's gut went cold as the local recon commander hastily picked up the military radio's receiver. "This is Mongoose One. I copy. Moving all forces to the city in standard defensive pattern. Out."

There was some static before the voice came back. _"... never seen before! They're chewin' us up at incredible range... can't identify... strange infantry..."_

This time, the radio went dead.

The recon commander shut off the civilian radio as a deadly hush fell over the outpost. "Get your boots on, boys and girls," he said gravely as he settled his cap onto his head. "Something's going down, and I don't like it."

Jimmy scooped up the poker cards and got to his feet. "Get ready to move out, Werewolves," he said, now all business. "Time to earn our pay, as the old saying goes."

*o*o*o*o*

The ride back to Romulus city wasn't a very long one, but to Chen, it felt like it dragged on for hours as he sat in the back of the Werewolves' lead APC, his JL-54 assault rifle held is his hands, the vehicle bouncing up and down as its wheels rolled over uneven ground and stray rocks or fallen tree trunks. He strained his ears to catch any more incoming transmissions from Romulus City, but each incoming message was just meaningless static and garbled noises. They barely even sounded like human voices.

"What the hell is going on?" a recent recruit said nervously yet again.

"I don't _know_ , dammit," Jimmy snapped back. "Keep your head on straight, kid. We ain't there yet."

"Y-yes, commander." The trooper, who couldn't have been older than twenty-one, gave Chen a quick glance, and Chen gave him a reassuring nod.

Chen was forcibly reminded of his early days in the CCAF, fighting for the Heng's Lancers battalion at the Liao-Davion front in the early 3030s. It seemed a lifetime ago, but Chen could still remember the apprehension, the sick feeling in his stomach, the nagging doubt that no amount of drilling or Wing Chun training would prepare him to face the Davion demons on foreign worlds. But back then, Chen knew exactly who his enemy was, and he knew exactly who to hate. But what was this? Romulus was too deep into Steiner space to face Periphery pirates, and there was no way the KungsArme was trying to make a show of strength on a world like this...

Maybe it was an act of terrorism? But it sounded like a battle of serious scale. And what was that about strange infantry...?

Chen shook his head. Too many questions, too few answers.

"We're nearly there," the APC pilot told the squadron. By now, the vehicle was being rocked by nearly explosions, and Chen could hear detonations through the vehicle's thin armored hide. "Get ready to -"

Chen's world dissolved in fire, smoke, and a bone-rattling eruption of air and noise. He automatically squeezed his eyes shut and felt his ears ring as a detonation blew his APC into flaming shreds, and his body ached as he was thrown across the grassy ground.

 _Shit!_ Chen forced himself into a crouched position, his JL-54 held tightly in his hands, blinking at the sudden, harsh light of the APC's flaming remains. His ears rattled with the constant din of battle. Missile detonations and autocannon roars filled the twilight at the city's perimeter, and the city's great skyscrapers were already burning from stray missile strikes. Multiple scout and harasser helicopters were rushing from the city's helipads at top speed, their searchlights cutting through the evening gloom.

"Commander!" Chen hurried across the field, leaping over a soldier who clearly didn't survive the explosion. He had to find Jimmy fast and get his orders, and find out who was still alive. Around him, he saw that another Werewolves APC was in flaming ruins, its occupants scrambling across the open field. Chen searched this way and that, desperate to find Jimmy, Sentaro, Kathy, Brigitte, anyone.

Then he saw it.

A 'Mech towering over him, like some ancient war god.

 _Son of a..._ Chen realized that the APCs had wandered too close to the battle front, or maybe the action had found the Werewolves' APC convoy. Either way, the attackers' 'Mechs were close by and bearing down on Chen' position, and he realized that the Romulus militia was behind him, shooting back with everything it had. More stray missiles and lasers pummeled the ground, sending up jets of flame.

 _Is that a_ Thunderbolt _?_ Chen momentarily forgot his search for his fellows and instead craned his neck back to behold the 'Mech standing over him, illuminated with the ugly orange light of flames and explosions. Sure enough, it had the bulky, man-like legs of a _Thunderbolt_ , and the beefy chest, off-set cockpit, and shoulder-mounted LRM launcher that made a _Thunderbolt_ stand out on the battlefield.

But something felt wrong about this _Thunderbolt_. Chen felt a sick feeling all over, like he came down with a nasty fever.

"Get down!"

Chen grunted in surprise when a woman's voice cried out, and he felt someone tackle him to the ground. Overhead, Chen saw tracer rounds going back and forth. No doubt the Romulus militia's infantry were arriving, both mechanized and foot infantry, and they were giving hell to the attackers' own infantry. But Chen saw numerous tracer rounds arc sharply away from the enemy troops, as though bouncing off rocks. That was odd.

"Who the hell are they?" Chen roared over the din. He saw more Romulus infantry advancing around him and reinforcing the scattered Werewolves troops. Above them, militia helicopters were hovering in place, taking pot shots at the advancing enemy.

"Commander said they called themselves the First Falcon Strike Cluster," the trooper who had tackled him said over the noise.

"The what?"

"The commander warned us," the trooper hollered over the din. "The enemy forces identified themselfves on the comm before they arrived. Their commander called himself Star Colonel... something. Told us what forces he'd attack with."

Chen stared up at the strange _Thunderbolt_ and wondered if he'd landed in some twisted hell. What kind of commander announced his attack and what forces he meant to use in that assault? And what were these strange 'Mechs? He looked around and found more enemy 'Mechs advancing, all of which had mottled green camo patterns and the logo of a white bird in flight painted on their chests. He saw what looked like a pair of mutated _Warhammer_ s advance into the fray, spitting out SRMs and PPCs with impunity.

"I have to find the others!" Chen told the militia soldier. "I'll be fine!"

He didn't wait to hear the militia soldier's response. He scrambled out from under her and kept low as he hurried across the battlefield, and he finally found some of his fellows, who were taking shelter behind one of the parked Werewolves APCs. He joined them, wiping his brow. "Thought I was the only one left."

"Scrappy!" Jimmy Nolan looked relieved. "I"ll be damned. We're outta our league here. We gotta fall back."

"We what?" Chen looked around at the other Werewolves huddled behind this APC, and none of them seemed bothered by Jimmy's uncharacteristically meek plan.

"Something's going on here, Chen," Kathy told him, a grim look on her soot-peppered face. "Those enemy troops... they don't die even if we shoot 'em."

That couldn't be right. Chen carefully crept to the APC's rear bumper and stole a peek from around the vehicle's hull. His heart froze at the sight.

Oversized men in organic-looking armor advanced on the militia troops, cutting them down with armor-mounted machine guns and small lasers. The armor had rounded, neckless heads and shoulder-mounted SRM packs, and hoof-like feet and pincer claws for hands. Even more chilling was their faces... just a flattened V-shaped visor. Some of the oversized troopers even had what looked like bird feathers glued onto their armor, and green bird motifs painted on their smooth, armored hides.

And just like Kathy said, no amount of anti-personnel fire was stopping them. Bullets bounced off their armor and didn't even slow them down. The troopers merely ignored the return fire and continued striking down militia troops with calm efficiency.

Then the attackers' 'Mechs opened fire.

"Shit!" Scrappy retreated back into cover once the strange _Thunderbolt_ aimed its right arm and fired a dazzling blue PPC from its weapon pod. Strange... that _Thunderbolt_ didn't seem to have any hands, just gun pods. Was this a custom model?

The PPC beam, meanwhile, sizzled through the air and cleanly sliced off the arm of a militia _Clint_ , robbing it of its autocannon 5. Sparks and smoke fizzled on the 'Mech's shoulder.

 _I've never seen a PPC hit like that!_ Chen could hardly believe his eyes. But then again, nothing about this battle made sense. The strange _Warhammer_ s also advanced, their mingled medium lasers and machine guns pounding the militia's troops and tanks flat. SRMs lit up the battlefield.

Chen jumped when Jimmy grabbed a hand on his shoulder. "Scrappy!" Jimmy roared. "Come on! We're falling back with the militia. This battle's lost. I ain't wasting our lives on a hopeless fight."

Chen was furiously determined to return fire on the bastards who had blown him and his comrades clean out of their APC. But Jimmy was right; none of the militia's 'Mechs, tanks, or platoons could slow these attackers down, and as the _Clint_ took missiles to the chest and collapsed in flames, the militia sounded the retreat. Their forces rapidly backpedaled into the safety of the city's limits, desperate to take cover behind buildings and cut off the attackers' line of sight.

Jimmy led the way, and the surviving Werewolves dashed across the battlefield for their lives, joining up with the Romulus militia in the desperate bid to reach safety. All the while, the strange attackers kept taking pot shots at the retreating forces, and Chen winced as a militia helicopter took a few LRM hits and spiraled down to the ground in flames. Men scattered as the chopper plowed into the ground in a twisted heap.

"We're all gonna die!" a militia trooper wailed in dismay.

"Shut up!" Kathy roared. "You wanna live? Move it and fight another day!"

"Y-yes ma'am!" the trooper said automatically.

Although they sustained serious losses already, the militia now found itself better able to regroup and present a serious front as the troops, tanks, and 'Mechs wove their defenses through the buildings. Reinforcements arrived just in time, and the militia's desperate return f ire finally gave the invaders pause. Chen watched in awe as the invading 'Mechs and oversized troopers hesitated, then withdrew and ceased fire. But Chen got the impression that they were just biding their time.

"Are they giving up?" one of the newer Werewolves asked hopefully.

"Like hell they are," Jimmy said, shaking his head. "They're just toying with us. We've got the advantage in here, but I'll bet my ass the invaders will scout out an urban assault route by noon tomorrow. It's just a matter of time."

The trooper chewed her lower lip. "But... we'll stop them, won't we?"

"I sure hope so." Jimmy grunted and glanced at the retreating invaders. "If we don't, there won't be enough of us left to bury in a tuna can."

Chen had to agree.


	20. Chapter 20

**Wherever the Universe Takes Me**

by Ulquiorra9000

 **A/N:** It's been months since I worked on this story. I kind of forgot about it, and then I got involved in _My Hero Academia_ fanfiction. I'm still doing that, but it's time I returned to this story. I have all kinds of plans for where this story will go, and I want them to be realized.

 **Chapter 20**

 _ **Militia HQ, Romulus City, Romulus**_

 _ **Lyran Commonwealth**_

 _ **May 9th, 3050**_

Chen didn't sleep well that night, and he was still sore from last night's terrifying battle when he awoke and got a comm from Jimmy. He, Sentaro, Kathy, Anthony, and Brigitte were due to meet the planetary militia's commander in 15 minutes. Time to move.

 _What the devil is going on around here?_ Chen stared at himself in his bunk's dirty mirror, hands clasping the sink as he glared at himself. The militia had been kind enough to lend the Werewolves lodging here in their HQ's barracks annex, but that didn't calm his nerves much. He had a bad feeling about this, and it got worse when he dressed himself up and met with the others in the building's command/control room.

"There you are," Jimmy commented when Chen arrived in the dimly lit, crowded room.

"Am I the last one here?" Chen asked.

Jimmy nodded. "The militia commander is forming a plan. I'm gonna forward all the details to Peter when I can."

Chen nodded back. He was sure that Peter, the tactical wizard, could see a way out of this.

"Lances of scout VTOLs and our _Skulker_ recon tanks show that the invaders chose the most direct possible route of attack," the militia's commander told everyone. His body was a ghostly green, lit up by the displays of nearby computer screens and projections. "In fact, based on our data, the First Falcon Strike Cluster, made a show of attacking us. Their attack pattern showed no hint of tactical thinking."

There was some confused muttering about this. How could such foolish attackers deal such heavy casualties like they had last night?

The commander cleared his throat. "Most likely, these Falcons are confident that they can take the city, and thus the planet. With their advanced 'Mechs and infantry support, perhaps their arrogance is merited. We already have reason to believe that the Falcons are approaching the city, and more cautiously this time. It's going to take more than a wall of firepower to keep them out."

The commander pressed a few buttons and brought up a map of Romulus City on the largest screen. Many triangles and squares moved around, each labeled clearly. "We have no choice but to engage in a city fight, contesting every block, every street. This is where our close-quarters combat training will be put to the test! If we play our cards right, we can negate the advantage these Falcons have, and wear out their attack force."

Chen was silent as the commander laid out the plan in finer detail. He felt a little more confident now, listening to the commander arranging a clever series of choke points, traps, and crossed fields of fire to make those Falcons pay for every inch they tried to take. Jackson's Werewolves, for their part, were assigned the west district of the city, a largely residential and office area.

Time to move out.

*o*o*o*o*

Chen's optimism didn't last long, not when he overheard Jimmy's radio coming in with reports of the invaders overwhelming the city's defense points one by one.

"Understood," Jimmy said darkly into the comm set. "Don't worry, we'll hold tight. The Werewolves always get the job done."

Jimmy slammed the receiver onto the comm set. "Shit! The north-west defensive line was broken. And quick, too. We're gonna get a lot of hostils on top uf us any minute now."

He refered to the paper map on the table, tracing his fingers along the streets. "They're probably gonna come from here, and then flank here..." He kept pointing.

Chen took it all in, a frown on his face. Right now, the Werewolves were holed up in a large office building's lobby as makeshift forward operations base, and it wasn't the only one of its kind around here. Outside the windows, Chen could see and hear the hand of war at work. Scout helicopters kept buzzing through the air, and _Warrior_ VTOLs let out sharp cracks from their belly-mounted autocannons. And that wasn't the worst of it. Chen could also hear random explosions, the footfalls of large 'Mechs, and the hum of lasers and PPCs. He also saw columns of dark smoke and, once in a while, heard the catastrophic din of a building collapsing.

Romulus City would have scars for years to come. But for now, there was a battle to win. Somehow.

 _"Hawk Four to Jackson's Werewolves! Come in!"_ a voice crackled on the comm.

Jimmy swiped the receiver and clicked the button with his thumb. "I read you."

 _"Bad guys inbound on your position, Werewolves! The 12th Garrison Company is moving up to reinforce you. Stand by, and prepare to assist them. Over."_

That was a report from one of the militia's scout VTOLs, and sure enough, Chen soon heard the rumble of combat tanks. Outside the windows, two lances of _Striker_ combat tanks rolled forward, their hulls pitted and scratched from combat, their paint chipped. But the vehicles rolled forward with determination, backed up by dozens of jeeps carrying a platoon of soldiers each. A pair of _Manticore_ tanks took up the rear, promising to deliver punishing PPC and LRM blows to the enemy.

The enemy struck first.

"Whoa!" Jimmy shielded his eyes with his arms just as a brilliant red laser beam flashed through the air and struck a _Skulker_. At once, the vehicle buckled under the pressure, its front armor melted to slag and emitting a cloud of smoke. A second later, two more lasers cored the vehicle and blasted aparts its interior.

"What was that?" one of the newer Werewolves cried. He soon got his answer; as the _Skulker_ s and jeeps backed up, two unfamiliar 'Mechs stepped forward like a pair of bullies cornering their victim. Those 'Mechs had reverse-canted legs and three-toed feet, with boxy bodies and bent-back arms that ended in deadly gun muzzles. Each 'Mech's cockpit bulged forward like that of an AeroSpace fighter, making for a strange profile. Seriously, where did these pirates get their 'Mechs from?

One of the strange 'Mechs lit up the air with three brilliant medium lasers and cored another _Striker_ , reducing it to a fireball. That was the wake-up call the others needed. The surviving _Striker_ s released volleys of SRM fire, and the Werewolves cheered as the missiles swallowed up the strange 'Mechs in strings of fireballs.

The 'Mechs emerged with barely a scratch on them.

"Fall back!" Jimmy cried as the strange 'Mechs opened fire once again. Their mixed large and medium lasers savaged a third _Striker_ and two jeeps, and the surviving militia vehicles backpedaled even faster, throwing desperate fire at their foes. The _Manticore_ 's gun muzzle flashed a deadly PPC beam, which chewed up armor on one 'Mech's right thigh. SRMs jumped into the wound and blasted apart the interior, and the foreign 'Mech buckled with a loud groan of strained metal.

"Commander! What's your order?" Brigitte cried.

Jimmy bared his teeth. "Advance! We'll hit their flank, and -"

He stopped cold when more of those strange soldiers arrived. This time, up close and in the context of a city street, Chen confirmed that these armored troopers were taller and bigger than any soldier he'd ever seen. They dashed forth in groups of five, SRMs leaping from their shoulder-mounted launchers and pulverizing the jeeps before them. Jeep tires squealed on the street in a panic, some soldiers falling out of jeeps that were knocked off-balance from the SRMs.

"Commander?" Brigitte prompted Jimmy again, her voice high with terror.

Jimmy was white as a sheet. "St-stand your ground!" he barked.

 _We can't do a thing,_ Chen realized as he watched the strange infantry mow down militia troopers with machine guns. _We're fodder waiting to die. The plan is useless. The Falcons won._

Where was this voice coming from? Even against the hated Davions, or against psycho Periphery bandits and slavers, Chen had never felt ice-cold dread like this. What was his Wing Chun or good luck charm against these invaders? Why was he here? How -

The mass shattering of glass was deafening in the office lobby. Two groups of five armored troopers each stormed hte office front, their missle launchers gone, their armor splattered with blood. Under the bloodstains, Chen saw paint jobs resembling green bird feathers, and one armored trooper even had a false falcon head built onto its helmet.

"Fire!" Jimmy roared.

From behind cover of a turned-over table, Chen sighted down his JL-54 rifle and squeezed the trigger. Somehow, it felt good to feel that rifle's recoil and hear the bark of its heavy caliber ammo. He had to fight back, even if it was useless! He was not helpless!

But as before, anti-personnel rounds bounced right off the troopers' armor, and the room was filled with the sound of bullets reflecting off their surfaces. Chen and the others kept firing, but it did no good, and the Werewolves stopped firing after a moment, falling into incredulous silence. This was impossible!

A trooper stepped forward and turned on an external speaker. "I am Point Commander Jensu," a man's deep voice said. "I commend your courage to face us rather than flee. Fight, and perhaps I shall find a worthwhile bondsman out of you lot."

"Fuck you, creep!" One of the newer recruits unpinned a hand grenade and tossed it. The grenade bounced once off the floor and right up in Point Commander Jensu's armored face.

The detonation knocked the armored trooper right onto his back with a loud _thump_. Two other armored troopers rushed over to help, until Point Commander Jensu waved them off.

"Who just did that?" Jensu demanded once he got up. "I am unsure if you showed me great courage or foolish spite. Face me, and perhaps we will determine which!"

"You want some of that? Huh?" the recruit hollered, waving his rifle around. "I got more for you, bastard!"

Jimmy snapped at the young soldier. "What the hell are you doing!"

"Commander, we can't beat these guys," the soldier argued. "I mean, look at them! We can't run from this, either. Might as well show 'em what we got first."

Point Commander Jensu chuckled. "True enough. Another Point is on the upper levels, prepared to trap you all and cut you off. Fight me honorably, or suffer our pincer attack. Which will it be?"

Jimmy gnashed his teeth. "You're screwing with us!"

"Our conquest has proven disappointing so far," Point Commander Jensu commented. "No worthwhile warriors to fight. But perhaps you have one among you? Come forth!"

Chen watched in mixed awe and horror as the young trooper advanced, throwing aside his rifle as he went. He was a well-built kid, with short brown hair and a bandana tied around his head.

"You gonna come outta there, or what?" the soldier challenged the Point Commander. "I can't even see your face!"

To Chen's surprise, Jensu complied. His huge armor suit unfolded, and there was a general outcry of shock as a massive man stepped out.

 _He's not even human!_ Chen blinked a few times, certain that he was seeing things. Even outside the armor, Jensu was a good seven feet, six inches, built like a star athlete. He had tan skin and sharp brown eyes, his hair shaved short and a scar on his chin. He was barechested, his dark green pants tucked into black boots.

Jensu cracked his knuckles, the sound like fireworks. "What is your name, surat?"

"Uh, what?"

"Your name!"

"I'm Robert Massen of Jackson's Werewolves. Call me Bobby. Everyone does." Bobby tried to put on a brave smirk, but he was already shaking. Jensu must have weighed two and a half times what he did.

Jensu nodded. "I see. Do you have a warrior's spirit, Bobby? Will you prove yourself worth taking as a bondsman?"  
Bobby spat. "What is that, a slave?"

"Of sorts. Now face me."

"Don't do it!" Brigitte cried, but it was too late now. The other nine armored giants formed a generously wide circle, and Bobby and Jensu started pacing, sizing each other up. Chen was hardly the squeamish type, but he dreaded what he would see next.

"Yah!" Bobby feinted a punch to the jaw, then delivered a terrific roundhouse kick to Jensu's bare chest.

The boot met flesh with a _thump_ , then stopped cold.

Bobby kept his foot there as hoping it would start drilling into Jensu's flesh. "Uh..."

Jensu threw back his head and laughed. "A fine kick! But not enough." He retorted with a jab that sent Bobby airborne. The kid seemed to float in the air for a moment until he came crashing down to the tiled floor in a pained heap.

Jensu advanced, punching his open palm with his other fist. "Face me!"

"Shut up!" Bobby sprang to his feet and leaped aside just as Jensu attempted a kick of his own. Then, Bobby circled around Jensu's open flank and delivered two hard punches to the man's ribs, and once again, the blows had no clear effect on the bigger man.

"Whoa!" Bobby ducked just as Jensu delivered a sweeping kick, and Bobby landed his own kick to Jensu's other knee.

For just a moment, Jensu buckled from the blow, clearly not expecting such a strike. Then he shot out a hand and caught Bobby's follow-up punch with his open palm.

"That is enough." Jensu caught Bobby's chest with a terrific blow that once again sent the soldier sprawling, and Jensu wasn't done yet. The mammoth man stomped a booted foot on Bobby's left shin, and Chen winced at the sharp crack of bone. Bobby wailed in agony, scrabbling at the floor to escape.

Jensu planted his foot on Bobby's back, enough to restrain but not crush him. "I claim you as a bondsman of the Jade Falcon Clan! Well done, Bobby. Your life will be spared, but at the expense of _theirs_." He pointed right at Chen and the others.

Jimmy knew what that meant. "Shit! Open fire!"

Chen felt rage like he'd never felt before. He shouldered his JL-54 and fired right at Jensu, but already, the other armored troopers had assembled to form a protective wall. No doubt Jensu was getting back in his own armor to join the fight, but this was already decided.

Then Chen got another surprise: three of the armored troopers had flamers on their bodies, and Chen squinted his eyes against the sudden brilliant light. Flames billowed everywhere, and every flammable surface caught fire at once. All the while, heavy machine bullets hissed every which way, and several Werewolves troopers took hits and went down.

"The windows! Hurry!" Jimmy cried. "Anyone who can follow me, move out!"

Chen knew that five more armored troopers were on a floor above them, and they were probably coming. He couldn't even see Jensu nor Bobby anymore through the flames or the nine armored troopers advancing on him. All he saw through the heat-distorted air was Jimmy, Anthony, Sentaro, and a handful of others making a mad dash for the building's few rear windows. Like in a dream, Chen followed them, his rifle feeling weirdly heavy in his hands. Against those troopers, it was a piece of trash anyway. But he didn't discard it.

"Here!" Kathy and Anthony knocked over a storage locker and dragged it under a high-set window so that everyone could reach it. Jimmy went first, smashing the window's glass with the butt of his rifle. He climbed out and landed on the other side, and Chen soon followed. He wasn't a moment too soon; the nine armored troopers were catching up, spraying flames and heavy-caliber bullets as they went.

Chen and a handful other others made it out, and Chen reached up to help another trooper get out. But just as that trooper was climbing through the window, he took a few stray bullets, and he went limp. His body tumbled out of the window and slammed onto the ground.

"Shit! Let's move!" Jimmy sprinted down the street and toward... where, Chen didn't know. He didn't even know if running could save them at this point. And all of Romulus City was alive around him with columns of smoke, buzzing VTOLs, and the constant rattle and detonations of battle. He could hear Jade Falcon 'Mechs stomping about, probably wiping out anything before them.

The Werewolves regrouped at an intersection, taking cover behind a parked tanker truck. "Okay, here's the plan," Jimmy panted, wiping his brow. "First, we -"

He stopped when heavy footfalls sounded across the intersection. One of those mutant _Warhammer_ s from last night had just emerged from behind a building, and somehow, it looked hungry.

Jimmy glanced up at the strange 'Mech and sighed deeply. "The plan changed," he announced.

"Well, what is it?" Anthony demanded.

"Run 'till you drop!"


	21. Chapter 21

**Wherever the Universe Takes Me**

by Ulquiorra9000

 **Chapter 21**

 _ **Romulus City, Romulus**_

 _ **Lyran Commonwealth**_

 _ **May 9th, 3050**_

Time seemed to slow down as the massive Jade Falcon 'mech stepped closer. Its left foot crushed a pickup truck and flattened it to the pavement, and the right foot kicked over a pair of dumpsters, scattering trash everywhere. Metal creaked and groaned as the towering machine loomed over the helpless Werewolves.

Chen knew that his death would come on a battlefield, but at the hands of a foreign mech on some middle-of-nowhere planet while a city burned? This wasn't what he had pictured even during his darker moments. He would never even see the face of the warrior who killed him.

 _What was all this for, then?_

The Falcon 'mech opened fire.

"Yow!" Jimmy blurted out when a sizzling medium laser leaped from the 'mech's chest and struck a parked car. Hellish heat rolled over the Werewolves platoon as the car melted into glowing slag.

"Weren't we gonna run?" Anthony Pubbles hollered over the din of combat. Overhead, two VTOLs raced by, desperate to hold off the Falcons.

"Dammit! Come on!" Jimmy snapped himself out of his terrified trance and sprinted down the street, zig zagging to and from cover. Parked cars, trash trucks, dumpsters, even the burnt-out shell of a _Manticore_ tank, its PPC muzzle dangling by a few wires on its turret. Chen followed suit, his legs like numb putty as he went. He knew what was coming. Machine gun fire, or maybe small lasers or some form of anti-infantry fire. He saw those gun muzzle on that mutant _Warhammer_. It had some serious anti-infantry firepower.

"Shit!" One of the Werewolves scrambled out of the way as machine gun fire peppered the street, kicking up tiny chunks of asphalt. The stream of fire followed the warrior, who ducked behind a car. Chen heard a distinct _ping-ping-ping_ as bullets riddled the car's trunk and roof.

But for some reason, the 'mech's shots were not connecting at all.

"We're almost there! Come on!" Jimmy waved an arm to rally his soldiers, sprinting for the corner of a city block. A massive office building loomed large, at least fifteen stories high. Perfect. It would cut off the mutant 'mech's sight, and the Werewolves could vanish in the back streets. Mechs were big... and that was sometimes liability.

"Shit!" Another Werewolf cursed as another medium laser flashed through the air, barely a few meters ahead of Chen's group. The beam sliced into a street light pole, severing it at once. The pole creaked and fell over at once.

Chen dared to look back over his shoulder. As expected, the mutant _Warhammer_ was taking slow, deliberate steps to keep up with the fleeing soldiers, and it was now blocking the sun, its shadow long. But why couldn't the pilot get a clear shot at anyone?

More machine gun burst traced angry lines across the pavement, and a cluster of bullets shattered the front windows of a parked semi truck. More bullets peppered the side of the office building at the street corner, and glass rained onto the sidewalk.

Sentaro Tsuchakov barked with laughter. "Bastard can't even shoot straight!"

Chen felt a chill. "No... that 'mech is toying with us. This is a _game_."

Jimmy nearly tripped. "What the... that asshole!"

MechWarriors were kings of the modern battlefield, ever since the Terran Hegemony's days. And it often got to their heads.

Bastard indeed.

At last, Chen and the others cut off the 'mech's line of sight as they rounded the corner and retreated to the safety of the back streets behind the office building. Chen's heart was racing and his breaths came in ragged gasps through his dry throat, but he wasn't about to let down his guard yet. He slowed to a trot with the others, his JL-54 rifle heavy in his hands.

Jimmy wiped his brow and looked back at the city street. From here, he and Chen could see the Jade Falcon 'mech slowly step forward, then aim its PPC muzzle at the empty asphalt and fire, as though bored. The brilliant blue beam was blinding even from here, and Chen could smell the boiling asphalt.

"I bet that MechWarrior's pissed we got away," a woman from Sentaro's platoon commented. "That's city fighting for you."

"It certainly is," a deep voice agreed.

"What the...!" The woman whirled around and trained her rifle on another one of those oversized soldiers, the ones in ultra-tough armored suits.

It was Jensu, the same enemy commander from before, and his visor was retracted enough to show his face. "Bondsman Bobby is in safe hands, I can assure you," he said in his deep, sneering voice. "But the rest of you fled! That _Hellbringer_ pilot was wasting their ammunition, shooting trash like you. Perhaps I should kill each of you with my bare hands. Supplies are running a bit thin for this campaign, I will admit."

Sentaro growled in frustration. "Who the fuck are you bastards!" he shouted.

Jensu's lip curled. "We are Clan Jade Falcon, and this world is ours! Romulus has proven an easy conquest, like the other worlds in this Wave. This victory is hardly even worth reporting back to the Turkina Keshik."

Chen's mind was trying to grapple with all these strange terms. Bondsman? Keshik? Clans? What clans were these, pirate gangs with an ax to grind? But pirates and bandits usually ran around in shoddy old relics like the _Clint_ or _Cicada_ or the odd _Dervish_ , not cutting-edge 'mechs like these. Chen had seen plenty of age-worn 'mechs during his time, but these Jade Falcon 'mechs seemed factory-fresh.

Chen grunted. "I suppose you want to duel us some more, Point Commander Jensu? Get that honor you want so badly?"

Jensu barked with laughter. "So you understand me, barbarian! Aff, I see few chances for real honor on this world. But bondsman Bobby made an appreciable effort. Will you do the same?"

Chen sighed down his JL-54. "I should warn you that this rifle has a grenade launcher built into it."

"Does it?" Jensu promptly lowered his suit's visor and motioned with one clawed hand. From the shadows emerged four more armored troopers, all painted mottled green and gold with black trim.

Jensu switched to his armor's comm again. "I could cut you all down where you stand, barbarians. This suit has a small pulse laser built into it. But my Point and I will accept challenges, and winners may walk free! Is that not a fair deal, quiaff?"

 _A small pulse laser? Is he for real?_ Chen checked out the gun muzzle on Jensu's right arm. Indeed, that sucker looked like it could spit out white-hot death. But pulse laser tech was a prized relic of the Star League. Where did these Jade Falcons get it? No, where did they get _any_ of these things?

Chen heard trash cans being knocked over, and he turned to see another squad of five super-soldiers cut off Chen's gang from the other side. They assumed postures meant to block the alley, rather than open fire. A wall of armor.

"Throw down your arms," Jensu barked, stepping forward. "Those who refuse will be gunned down! Those who agree shall face me in honorable combat, or another member of my Point. You fancy yourselves warriors, now prove it."

Chen glanced at Jimmy, his JL-54 still trained on Jensu. "Boss...?"

Jimmy bared his teeth. "Don't bullshit us, Point Commander! Is this whole invasion just a game to you? That _Warhammer_ was toying with us, and this battle is taking all day. You trying to draw this out?"

Jensu burst out laughing. "On the other conquest worlds, we fought the Clan way: a quick and decisive victory. But this planet feels... well, _different_. Why not test you freeborns and see what you are made of? And that 'mech is designated _Hellbringer_ , not _Warhammer_."

"Fine. That sonofabitch _Hellbringer_ was playing with its food. You gonna do the same now?"

"My offer was sincere," Jensu told him. "Any warrior who wins a duel may have free passage out of this city, as well as a few days' worth of rations."

Chen, despite himself, lowered his JL-54 and threw it onto the narrow street. "Then I'll take the offer."

Jimmy recoiled. "Chen...!"

"Shit," Sentaro muttered. "Jimmy, he's right. Just look at this place: we're gonna eat it anyway. Might as well bruise 'em up first. I ain't gonna be put down like a sick horse. I'm gonna _fight_." He, too, threw down his arms.

One by one, the other Werewolves cast aside their firearms, side arms, and even their knives, raising their hands to show that they had no more. Satisfied, Jensu stepped out of his armor suit again, looking just as Herculean as he did earlier. And this time, the other four of his squad did the same, and two men and two women, all of them towers of muscle and terror. While Jensu had a fairly typical crew cut, these other warriors shaved their hair even closer, save for braided ponytails that hung down their backs. A fair-toned woman with blonde hair cracked her knuckles, then tilted her head to crack her neck. "I am hoping this does not take too long, Point Commander," she said lightly.

"These surats are trembling," a dark-skinned man said with a sneer. He flashed a set of dazzling white teeth. "Not even worth the effort of leaving our suits."

"I am not so sure. That one intrigues me," Jensu said, pointing directly at Chen. "His commander is a coward. But not him."

Jimmy swallowed that insult and instead looked to Chen with mingled admiration and dismay. "I think he likes you, Chen."

Chen felt his gut clench as he stepped forward, cracking his knuckles. "I will challenge whoever will have me."

He wasn't alone, either. Four more Werewolves stepped forward, too, issuing similar challenges.

"Very good!" Jensu cried. He pointed. "You... what is your name?"

"Chen Yeung."

"Ah. Warrior Chen, I shall save you for last. I want to savor this, and warm up before doing battle with you. Instead... _you_!" Now he pointed at a woman in Chen's squad named Ribecca, who sometimes sparred with Chen during off hours.

"Actually, I shall take that one, if it is permissible, Point Commander," the blonde woman said, stepping forward. She grinned nastily. "I do not like the looks of her. She needs a lesson beaten into her."

Jensu made a sour face. "Very well. But the next is certainly mine."

Ribecca cracked her neck just the way the blonde giant had. "I don't s'pose you have a name? Or should I call you Amazon?"

The towering blonde woman scoffed. "I am no such thing. I am an Elemental! My name is Zera. Now, face me."

Ribecca and Zera squared off as the other soldiers and Elementals formed a circle out of respect. Both women, despite their difference in size and height, started circling each other carefully, like wolves sizing up a rival.

 _Elemental... so that's what they call themselves,_ Chen thought. Not that the name explained the true nature of these bizarre giants. Never in all his life did he imagine fighting "Jade Falcons" whos used _Hellbringer_ 'mechs and pulse lasers... and now Bobby was a "bondsman" of theirs. He once thought... no, he had _conviction_ that the Davion imperialists were the biggest threat in known space, and has prepared to give his life to help destroy the Federated Commonwealth. Back in the 3020s, that was what his hot-blooded, adolescent self had wanted so badly.

He faintly wondered what sort of lives his mother, sister, and brother were living back on Capella. They were safely at the only home they knew, far away from Elementals and _Hellbringer_ s and -

Chen barely noticed when a sickening crunch echoed across the cramped back street. A series of excited "ooooooh"s erupted from the crowd.

Ribecca stumbled back, clutching a hand to her bleeding face. She made a stifled laugh. "That all you got, bitch? Not as tough as you look!"

Zera smiled and rubbed her knuckles. "You bruise nicely, barbarian. Let me give you another bruise to match!"

Both women leaped right at each other, and Zera moved fast despite her speed, and with surprising grace, too. Ribecca only narrowly avoided a vicious right hook, and she sank her fist into Zera's steely abs with all her strength. Many times, Ribecca had made some serious noise, hitting a punchin bag with that fist. But not this time.

"You hit like a freeborn reject," Zera taunted her.

Ribecca shrank back a few steps. "Freeborn? You calling me a bastard?"

"You are a barbarian. Just like the rest."

Once again, both women circled each other a few times before going at it again. Zera used her endurance and agility to gain the upper hand, though her attacks were a bit too obvious. Ribecca dodged and ducked the worst of it, taking only a glancing blow on her shoulder as the duel progressed. Chen hoped against hope that Ribecca would wear the much larger woman down and take her by surprise with a knockout punch.

 _Ooooooh!_ Chen suddenly thought.

Indeed, Ribecca evaded a kick on Zera's part, then got up close and delivered a hard punch to the Elemental's jaw, snapping her head back. Before the Elemental could recover, Ribecca dealt a rapid series of punches into Zera's gut, back and forth, shouting "Yaaaaaaaah!" the entire time with reckless abandon.

Zera stumbled back, wheezing. "A fine... attempt, barbarian!" She spat.

"Had enough, freak?" Ribecca bounced lightly on her toes, fists raised for more. "Come on!"

 _She can do it,_ Chen thought as Ribecca and Zera closed in once again. _With another blow to Zera's chin, she might_ -

"AAAAAARGH!"

Ribecca wailed in pain as Zera caught her with an unexpected kick to the ribs, and Chen heard a few ribs break under the terrific pressure. Just a split second later, Zera delivered a fine punch to Ribecca's temple and cried "Useless!" to further mock her.

Ribecca stumbled back, stunned, and Zera wasn't done yet. The Elemental landed a terrific blow to Ribecca's gut with another "Useless!", and did the same to a kick to the knee and another blow to the head. Finally, Ribecca sprawled onto the street, trembling and bleeding. Both eye sockets were swollen and purple, blood dribbling from the corner of her mouth.

"Is that... all you got... bitch?" Ribecca wheezed as Zera towered over her.

Zera made a "hmph" sound, scooped up her fallen enemy, and draped her over the right shoulder like a bag of flour. "I shall have her as a bondswoman, Point Commander. Turns out I like this one." She stepped out of the ring, and the other nine Elementals waved their arms and cheered for their comrade's victory.

Chen and Jimmy shared dark looks. Ribecca was one of the best melee fighters among Jackson's Werewolves, aside from them two, Kathy Bliss, and Sentaro. If she couldn't handle this, then how...?  
No. Courage in the face of all odds. That lesson had been drilled into Chen's head at the Capella War College, and he would never let it go.

Another one of Jackson's Werewolves stepped forward, and Jensu allowed one of his men to duel the newcomer just like Ribecca and Zera had done. And once again, the sheer size and brutality of the Elementals decided the match beyond any doubt.

"I reject this one," the Elemental, the dark-skinned fellow, said with contempt. He nudged his fallen opponent with his foot. "He lacks spirit and conviction. And his technique is sloppy."

Jensu merely dragged the rejected soldier out of the ring, and another Werewolf took his turn. And lost.

"Chen... you're not _really_ going to do this, are you?" Kathy whispered urgently in Chen's ear when Jensu hauled away the most recent soldier (who was also rejected).

"What choice do I have?" Chen whispered back. "We haven't won a match yet."

Kathy made an impatient noise. "Are you trying to show off? I like you, Chen, but this isn't the time."

"Maybe it's the Death Commando in me."

"You Liaos cling to hope like a starving dog with a scrap of meat, you know that?"

"No more talking! Face me!" Jensu hollered, beckoning for Chen to enter the circle.

Chen squared his shoulders. "Kathy, if I'm killed, or if Jensu takes me as a bondsman... remember that I love you. All right?"

Kathy blinked a few times. "I mean... I pretty much knew it, but you never put it like that before."

Chen managed a weak smile. "Even after all those evenings we spent together in DropShip bunk rooms? You mean a lot to me, Kathy."

"You should have brought a box of chocolates, then." Kathy returned Chen's weak smile.

"Maybe on the next mission."

As he approached his towering opponent, Chen realized that he didn't feel strange about what he said, or what he really felt about Kathy. This really _wasn't_ the time for it, but this could very well be Chen's last free day of his life. He got the feeling that no POWs ever escaped the Jade Falcons once captured.

 _But in a way, I'm free no matter where I am_. Mei, his old lancemate, was only in the past, and so was his Capellan life. No more weight in his soul.

Jensu was waiting.

"I shall savor this," Jensu said with a cocky grin as he and Chen started circling each other. The massive Elemental flexed his impossibly huge muscles. "I see the warrior's spirit in you, Chen Yeung."

"You're about to feel it, too." Chen darted forth, quick as a cobra, and jabbed at Jensu's abs, just to test him. And sure enough, Chen could have sworn he just punched a tree trunk.

Jensu retaliated with a wide, arcing punch that Chen ducked to avoid. As Jensu's fist whooshed through empty air, Chen took a step to the right and delivered two more blows to the Elemental's chest, slightly higher up than before. Once again, he was striking a living wall.

"Not good enough!" Jensu taunted. He snapped out a kick that Chen barely saw coming, and he leaped back to avoid it. Now the warriors circled each other again, sizing each other up even more acutely than before.

 _He's big. But size means weight, and that'll slow him down the longer this goes_ , Chen thought. _These Jade Falcons have some technique, but they mainly rely on toughness and hitting power._

Once again, Chen darted forth, and this time, he feinted a hard jab to Jensu's chest. He arced wide to Jensu's left side, and landed a few blows on the much larger man's ribs and arm, inviting Jensu to retaliate. Sure enough, the Point Commander whirled around, swinging a surprisingly fast roundhouse kick. Once again, Chen ducked the blow, and engaged his opponent just enough to invite a counter. The entire time, Chen held something back, unwilling to exhaust himself at this point. It was too soon. Wait for it...

"Fight me for real!" Jensu grated as Chen sidestepped a punch. "Even your miserable fellows put up more of a fight."

"Then make it worth my while," Chen taunted.

"Freebirth barbarian!" Jensu zig-zagged across the circle and launched a kick, even faster than before. This time, Chen was a little too slow, and Jensu's boot grazed his chest.

 _Dammit!_ Even with just a glancing blow, Jensu's sheer kinetic force blasted Chen off his feet, and he tumbled across the street as the Elementals in the circle cheered. Chen rolled and sprang back to his feet just as Jensu approached to deliver the final blow, and he evaded the Elemental's savage punch.

 _Stay steady. Don't rush or panic._ Chen remembed the teachings of his martial arts instructors back at the Capella War College, one of whom had been Lin Zha-Bo, a retired member of Warrior House Hiritsu. Slender and sporting a short beard, he looked more like a traditional poet, but sure didn't punch like one.

 _If only he could see me now_. Chen remembered one afternoon when, under the warm spring sun, Lin Zha-Bo had challenged the MechWarrior cadets to duels one after another, right there in the BattleMech hangar. With _Cataphract_ and _Grasshopper_ 'Mechs towering over them, the students had engaged Lin Zha-Bo in a stready stream... and before long, all of them were laying on the smooth concrete, groaning and clutching their bruised bodies.

"Ridiculous!" Lin Zha-Bo had said with clear scorn. "House Liao will surely fall to the Davion devils if you lot are the Chancellor's best hope. Rise, and try again! The battlefield will not wait while you lick your wounds!"

So, Chen and the others had bolted to their feet to challenge the skinny old man, and once again, he pummeled the lot of them. He wasn't even breathing hard.

"This is impossible," one of Chen's fellows, Vasily Jiiu, whined as he rubbed his bruised jaw.

"Ha!" the instructor had cried as Lin Zha-Bo folded his arms. "The same was said of many a battle during the Succession Wars, when the wisdom of House Liao saw us to victory against our enemies. Battles deemed hopless were reversed and our foes were routed. If not for that indomitable spirit, we would be living in the Liao province of the Federated Commonwealth by now, reciting Shakespeare and kissing Hanse Davion's boots! Or is that what you worms want?"

"NO, SIR!" Chen and the others had cried. So, for the third time, they engaged Lin Zha-Bo, and realized that they didn't _have_ to fight him one at a time. Three opponents at once, he could endure, but not four. And Chen himself landed the first blow on the old man.

Chen shook his head. _Focus, why don't you?_

Trainee Chen never could have imagined an Elemental, and he had zero training for an opponent like this. But he had intuition, and it was working. Jensu was strong and tough, to be sure, but he was overextending himself many times trying to catch this elusive opponent, and Chen's attack patterns required Jensu to use many different muscle groups and attack and defend from awkward angles. In short, he was being worn out top to bottom, and he was slowing down.

"This... is not how... a warrior fights," Jensu wheezed as he threw another punch, only for Chen to slip away. "You honorless surat!"

Chen ducked through Jensu's defenses and landed another blow, putting more energy into this one. "Was that honorable enough?"

Jensu kicked back, and Chen avoided that, too. He scored a counter-kick on Jensu's knee from the side, and the huge man buckled for just a few precious seconds. Chen took this chance to kick with his other foot and smash his booted toes into Jensu's temple.

"OOOOOOOHHH!" the other Elementals cried as Jensu collapsed.

"He is a warrior!" one Elemental commented.

"Surely he will make a fine bondsman," another added.

Chen looked to his fellows who, for the first time, looked hopeful. He took heart in that.

He didn't take heart from Jensu rising to his feet and dusting himself off.

"No more games," Jensu spat. "I want you dead, Chen Yeung! I will have your corpse!"

He lunged.

An explosion rocked the entire street.

The Elementals and Werewolves alike scattered, crying out in shock. Dozens of soldiers poured into the street, most of them sporting either grenade launchers or shoulder-mounted rocket launchers. Three grenades bounced across the street and exploded among the armored Elementals, scattering them further.

"COME ON!" one of the soldiers cried, waving the Werewolves over. As she spoke, a wheeled APC rolled up to the street's mouth, followed by another, and another. Machine gun fire hissed through the air, peppering the armored Elementals and pushng them back with sheer kinetic force. Jensu roared in rage until a stray shot struck him in the chest, then another. With blood oozing into his skintight top, Jensu collapsed, clutching his wounds as two armored Elementals rushed over to shield him.

Another Elemental had it even worse: caught without his armor on, he took a whole volley of heavy-caliber bullets, his body jerking back and forth from the lethal force. He sprawled on his back, clearly dead.

"Let's go!" Jimmy roared. He and the other Werewolves scooped up their fallen weapons and made for the APCs, and Chen wasn't far behind. He collected his JL-54 and sprinted for his life, prepared for the Elementals to return fire.

Jensu wasn't kidding; the five armored Elementals stepped forward and opened fire with small pulse lasers, the weapons riddling the rescuers with deadly bolts. Several fell at once, and the rest rapidly fell back. Chen winced as two more Werewolves fell to the laser fire.

But the Jade Falcons were too late. Forced to stay defensive, they could do little more than fire pot shots as the Werewolves and rescuers alike piled into the APCs, and the three vehicles' troop bay doors slid shut. Their engines roared, and they rolled across the street at top speed.

Chen wiped his brow. "You saved our hides back there."

"No kidding." A rescuer smiled wearily. "We're with the Javelin Jaguars merc gang, but the way things are going, to hell with our contract."

Brigitte Anders nodded. "Right. So where are we headed?"

"We found a route out of Romulus City that'll go right under the Jade Falcons' noses," the mercenary soldier explained. "And it gets better: we're getting out of this city and heading for the rural spaceport about 500 kilometers south. As far as we know, the Jade Falcons never captured it."

Jimmy sighed and leaned back in his seat. "Isn't that the spaceport used to export grains and shit off-world?"

"Yeah. We're getting off Romulus in a glorified wheat train. Got a problem with that?"

Jimmy shook his head. "I'll farm that fucking wheat myself if it means I get far away from those Jade Falcon bastards."

The soldier chuckled. "I hear that."

Chen, for his part, wasn't 100% sure that the plan would work until it did. That is, he didn't expect to leave war-torn Romulus City alive until the APC driver confirmed that they had evaded all Jade Falcon units and reached the outskirts. The Falcons were too busy toying with the dug-in defenders to notice three measly APCs. That was one advantage of not using a BattleMech: the other side's MechWarriors generally didn't give a shit about you.

What a lifesaver.

*o*o*o*o*

"Point Commander!"

Warrior Zera knelt by Jensu, a concerned look on her face as he blonde ponytail draped itself over her shoulder. "Those wounds... we must address them, or they will scar."

"Chen... Yeung."

Zera hesitated. "Point Commander?"

Jensu grunted and sat up. "Radio Star Captain Roshak and tell him to relay my suggestion that we will slaughter Romulus City's defenders to the last. Cut down any civilians who happen to get in the way. The game is _over_."

"Aff, Point Commander. Right away."

Jensu was sure that Star Colonel Jennifer Hazen, the officer who won the right to assault this city, would appreciate Jensu's exhausted patience with these barbarians. Enough was enough! With the likes of Chen Yeung out there, these barbarians deserved no further mercy. The same would be true of the upcoming Third Wave and beyond.

 _Chen Yeung_. Jensu curled his hands into fists. He would likely never see that barbarian again. But if he did... he would exercise every torture technique that his falconer trainers had taught him on Ironhold's frigid wastes. The thought helped dull the pain a great deal.


	22. Chapter 22

**Wherever the Universe Takes Me**

by Ulquiorra9000

 **Chapter 22**

 _ **Hohenzollern, Zoetermeer**_

 _ **Lyran Commonwealth**_

 _ **May 30th, 3050**_

Even now, after he and the other Werewolves set foot on a safe world far away from the mysterious Jade Falcons, Chen could hardly believe his good fortune. Surely, Mei's "Little Dragon" charm had seen him through the jaws of hell! Well, maybe that was the best explanation his stressed and overwhelmed mind could conjure up. At any rate, the Werewolves and the rescuer mercenary gang (Blanca's Bastard Brigade) had snuck right out of the Romulus system on board an agriculture freighter DropShip. From there, they joined up with a JumpShip and transferred to a new DropShip, the _Curiosity_. It hauled them right to the Zoetermeer system without any questions asked.

The good news: everyone was beyond Clan Jade Falcon's talons for good.

The really bad news: they only brought small arms and the clothes on their backs. Jackson's Werewolves didn't even have a rustbucket APC or _Warrior_ VTOL to call its own.

Jimmy wasn't looking too glum about it, though.

"We survived, Werewolves," he kept telling them as they settled in hotel rooms in Hohenzollern, this arid world's bustling capital. "And we're seeing the light at the end of the tunnel where out debt is concerned. Things could be worse."

"Yeah," Brigitte Anders had said bitterly. "Depends on how low you set your standards, boss."

Jimmy didn't have much of a response to that. He did, however, make a beeline for the city's HPG center, and invited anyone interested to come along. Chen and Peter joined him, since they had an important mission ahead.

Get the damned word out.

"Welcome, friends," a friendly Acolyte said when the three men stepped into the ComStar base. He wore white robes typical of ComStar, and motioned to a few seats arranged before his desk. "I am Acolyte Nathan Verask, and I -"

"Can help us, I hope," Jimmy said shortly. "I've got an urgent message to send to the MRB. To _anyone_ who will listen."

"I see," Acolyte Verask said, and he got right to business. He cleared his throat. "Join me."

So they sat, and Jimmy, Chen, and Peter relayed everything they knew about the Jade Falcons, the attack on Romulus, everything. Even including the fact that the Werewolves and Blanca's Bastard Brigade had totally failed their contracts there. Although visibly anxious, Peter did his best to add crucial information, gently rocking back and forth in his seat to calm himself.

Acolyte Verask nodded as he finished typing into his large noteputer station. "Now, Mr. Nolan, I need your personal ID to get this into the system and prep it for broadcast."

"Right. HM-5730-L4-0062," Jimmy told him. "Spread that message far and wide."

Acolyte Verask raised his eyebrows. "Could you be more specific, my good sir?"

Jimmy hesitated, then named a rather premium messaging rate for a quick broadcast. Chen didn't argue, despite the Werewolves' ongoing debt.

"And... done," Acolyte Verask said. "Is there anything I can help you with today?"

Jimmy shook his head. "I did what I came here for. I don't know where the hell those Jade Falcon assholes came from, but everyone's gotta know that they're out there. With any luck, they won't even reach this world."

"I assure you that Zoetermeer will not fall to any invader," Acolyte Verask said, gazing into the distance. "This news is indeed troubling. But rest assured that ComStar is here to help."

"Good. See ya." Jimmy rose and motioned for Peter and Chen to follow. They stepped out the front doors and into the dry, warm evening air. Damn, Zoetermeer was a total desert from pole to pole. At least it had good pubs, based on the tourist brochures that were handed out on literally every street corner.

Jimmy draped one arm across Chen's shoulders, and the other across Peter's. "Friends, we're hitting the bars. Drink yourselves under the tables if you gotta. Us Werewolves... let's try to forget the last month, huh?"

Chen chuckled. "I wouldn't say no to a rum and Coke."

Jimmy sighed. "You gotta get more creative with your drinks, Chen."

"I-I would rather not drink," Peter mumbled, visibly tensing. "Bars are loud. I... I'll be at the hotel, working on... some things."

That was how Peter calmed himself down, diving right into work. Chen didn't blame him.

And as for the rest of the Werewolves... maybe Chen would _finally_ try and beat Anthony or Kathy at darts. His record was positively abysmal.

It didn't help that Brigitte kept reminding him.

*o*o*o*o*

Acolyte Verask waited until the three mercenaries left the premises before typing another commander into the system: **override:/[freeze message]**

 **Confirm message freeze order? Y/N**

 **Y**

 **search:["Jackson's Werewolves combat Romulus MRB database James Nolan Chen Yeung Peter Andrews MRB mercenary groups rated "B"]**

 **Executing search...**

 **Searching...**

 **...**

Acolyte Verask waited until he got his hands on every scrap of data he could before rising from his desk and alerting the station boss.

"This is 100% accurate?" the boss asked testily.

"It is," Acolyte Verask said, hands clasped behind his back. "This is a voice that must be silenced."

"It certainly is." The boss picked up the phone. "Let the will of Blake be done."

*o*o*o*o*

Bad news: Chen did not, in fact, finally beat Anthony Pubbles in a game of darts, not even after he said no that fourth beer mug so his coordination would be that much less impaired. Sentaro groused that he was betting 2,500 C-Bills on Chen because of "this gut feeling of mine," and that was 2,500 C-Bills he'd never see again. It was hardly Chen's fault that Anthony downed a Manhatten with reckless speed and then landed two double bulls-eyes in a row. The entire room had made an excited ruckus over that one.

But in the corner of his mind, Chen did note that none of the holovid screens were showing _any_ news about Clan Jade Falcon's attack into Lyran space. As in, not a word. Shouldn't someone else have gotten the word out? Did it really fall to a dinky little mercenary group like Jackson's Werewolves to alert local systems to this grave threat?

Kathy, for one, urged Chen to not worry about it. That nonsense was behind them, now that they'd escaped Romulus and sent that message via the local HPG uplink. It was time to kick back and relax.

Even now, Chen could picture Jimmy's urgent message flashing through the stars at incredible speeds. Okay, that was reassuring.

"We oughta hit up another one," Jimmy hollered into the warm night as the Werewolves spilled out of the bar at 2254 hours and into the well-lit downtown streets.

"Another what?" Brigitte asked, even though she knew.

"That place!" Jimmy cried, pointing at a nightclub further down the block and across the street.

Chen gave the place a fair shake, in his mind. To be fair, Hohenzollern did have a pretty good nightlife scene, with ample bars and clubs, neon signs advertising everything from VR games to legal drug dens, to sports bars showing the latest Solaris VII matches. Even the traffic looked merry, as though everyone was on their way to a party.

But...

"I'm going to be lame and say I need an early retirement for the night," Chen admitted. His headache was going from "sign of a good time" to "bullshit I need to sleep off."

Brigitte actually stuck out her tongue. "Have it your way, Scrappy. Have fun in your hotel room. I guess."

Kathy snorted and patted Chen's back. "I'll go with you."

"Right." Chen took Kathy's hand, and they made their way to a street corner to ask for a cab back to their fifteen-story hotel. Most of the Werewolves were staying here, and as Jimmy and Anthony put it, they'd earned this shit. For surviving the Jade Falcons, really. Debt be damned.

"You sure you can't spend a little more time up?" Kathy teased Chen as they stepped out of the elevator and onto the eleventh floor.

Chen grinned and shook his head. "I can't, Kathy. Sorry."

Kathy pouted. "Fine, I'll just make friends with my bedside lamp or something."

"I'll see you at breakfast." Chen gave Kathy a kiss, then finally trudged into his room and tore off his shirt and tossed it onto the back of the desk chair. Whew. He'd been running on adrenaline and feverish hope ever since stepping onto that grain-freighter DropShip back on Romulus. His training wouldn't let him shake that feeling like a Jade Falcon was going to get the drop on him. But when he humored himself and checked the closet, he confirmed that zero Elemental warriors were in there.

Shit. He needed a shower.

Someone knocked. "Room service!"

Hell of a time for that. Maybe that's how they did things on Zoetermeer. Chen peeked through the door's eyeglass and confirmed a young man with a hotel uniform, next to a cart loaded with cleaning supplies.

Chen swung the door open. "I wasn't expecting this so late. I was about to get into the shower."

"I'm sorry," the cleaner said as he pushed the cart in. He flashed an embarrassed smile. "A few people quit, and we've been busy. The schedules are all kinds of messed up. Normally, I'd have clocked out by now, but that's life, am I right?"

 _Kid, you don't even know._ Chen nodded and headed for the bathroom. "I won't get in your way."

The cleaner made a bit of a racket as he rifled through his cart's supplies. "Don't worry about that, good sir."

The hairs on the back of Chen's neck stood up-

Chen dove into the open shower just as a bullet hissed through the air, and it burrowed into the far wall. Wall plaster puffed into the air.

 _An assassin! Who sent him?_ Chen sprang to a crouched position in the shiny, tiled shower just as the assassin stepped into the bathroom. Chen was too far to seize the pistol, so he seized a complimentary shampoo bottle and hurled it at the assassin's face.

Just in time; the assassin fired again, but the shampoo bottle hit him on the forehead, and his aim slipped. A second bullet escaped the pistol muzzle's silencer, and it shattered a tile just a few inches from Chen's right shoulder.

Quick as a leopard, Chen sprang from the tub and grappled with the assassin's pistol. He wrenched the muzzle in a safe direction, and prepared to twist the assassin's arm behind his back and wrestle him to the bathroom floor.

But this was an assassin, not a mugger, and the young man stomped his footed foot on Chen's own foot. Chen, who had taken his shoes off, had little protection from the boot's hard heel and winced from the sudden pain. It was enough of a distraction for Chen's concentration to waver.

The assassin jabbed his elbow back, and it smashed right into Chen's gut. Chen let go and stumbled back, and the assassin rooted himself down with one leg and he delivered an impressive roundhouse kick that caught Chen's temple and sent him sprawling.

 _Shit!_ Chen's head hit the wall, and stars danced in his vision. From down here, in the bathroom doorway, he saw the assassin prepare to fire his pistol again, aiming right for Chen's face.

Once again Chen dove out of the way, and he scrambled from behind the wall just as the assassin's fire. The third bullet smashed into the wall, and Chen knew that he had just seconds until the assassin went after him again. Should he make a break for the door? Dive out the window? Use the bedside lamp as a club? He had had a few beers, and he was exhausted after his journey here...

"Don't make this difficult!" the young man grated as he stepped out of the bathroom. "Sit still, bastard."

"Who sent you!" Chen blurted.

"Not telling," the young man spat. "But there are those who need you dead no matter what. Don't take it personally or nothin'."

He fired two more shots, and Chen rolled to avoid them. Now he was behind the desk's wheeled chair, and he kicked it with all his strength. The chair rolled and crashed into the assassin, who was once again distracted for a few vital seconds. Chen took his chances and sprang to his feet, crossed the distance to the assassin, and kicked the pistol right out of his hands. The handgun flopped onto the king-sized bed.

"No!" the young assassin dove for it. So did Chen. They grappled over it, each clawing at the weapon's warm barrel and its engraved handle. After about ten frantic seconds, the assassin seized it and shoved Chen back.

He stood and pointed it right at Chen. He squeezed the trigger.

It didn't fire.

"What the..." the assassin checked his weapon for a jam or dud.

Chen grinned. "I switched on the safety."

"You -" the assassin was cut off when Chen kicked the pistol out of his hands for a second time, and at last, Chen seized the upper hand. He delivered two rapid punches to the assassin's chest, then grabbed his head and bashed it against his knee. With blood leaking from his nose, the assassin crumpled in a stunned heap.

Breathing hard, Chen knelt and took the pistol. He switched the safety off.

"N-no!" the young assassin cowered and shielded his face with his hands.

Chen felt a wave of disgust. "You came here to take my life, and you beg for yours?"

"I-I... I represent the will of Blake!" the young assassin cried. "If I die, so be it!"

Chen hesitated. Blake? As in, Jerome Blake of ComStar? What the devil...?

"Who hired you? Answer me, boy!"

"I wasn't hired. I'm an initiate. An assassination specialist."

"An initiate of what, ComStar? Since when do they hire assassins?"

"I'm not telling you anything else!"

"Really." Chen fired a shot at the wall right next to the young assassin's head. "This pistol has five rounds left in the magazine. One for each of your limbs, then your head, if you don't fess up."

"Damn you!" the young assassin roared. "Do what you must! I won't betray the will of Blake!"

Chen took the easy route and swiped the handgun through the air. One pistol-whip knocked out the young assassin, and then Chen checked out the assassin's supply cart. "Not gonna kill you today," Chen muttered. "The real cleaning staff doesn't need the headache of scrubbing out bloodstains in here."

He found a spare mop head, tore out some of the long strands, and used them to bind the assassin's wrists and feet. Once he got his shirt and boots back on, and swiped the assassin's pistol, he took this chance to alert the hotel's security staff. Or rather, he tried.

"What the hell..." Chen stared at the video phone's screen as it blinked **[ERROR]** at him. It failed to connect? Why?

Chen's heart sank. No...

 _The others...!_

Someone cried his name.

*o*o*o*o*

Kathy had barely shut the door to her hotel room when room service came knocking. Except room service didn't typically pack Mauser and Gray needle pistols.

Now the assassin was out cold, and Kathy needed answers. She checked the wall-mounted video screen and got a blinking message: **[ERROR]**.

"Dammit! Come on!" Kathy pounded the wall with her fist, and she wiped her brow as her mind raced. Who wanted her dead? No way those Jade Falcon dirtbags had followed the Werewolves here. And they didn't seem like the type to send assassinations, with all their "honorable combat" bullshit...

Think. What kind of enemies did the Werewolves have? Their creditors? No, things weren't that bad unless Jimmy had gone off the deep end like Samesh had once done. Jimmy had a cool head, he wouldn't let it come to this...

Kathy made a frustrated noise, got her boots back on, and prepared for more. Whatever was going on, well... the other Werewolves needed her.

She threw open her door and raced down the hall to Peter's room. Dammit, he wasn't trained in combat. What if -

There was no time. Kathy got out her pistol and shot the door frame a few times to bust the locks, then kicked the door open with all her strength.

"PETER!" Kathy cried.

"Kathy?" Peter flinched, cowering and shielding his face with his hands. He was seated at the desk, two laptops open and cables everywhere.

Kathy sighed and lowered her pistol. "We've got to go, Peter. Someone just tried to kill me. We're going to get Chen next."

"What... no..." Peter clapped his hands over his face. "I-I can't... Kathy..."

Kathy approached him and softened her tone. "Someone is trying to hurt us, Peter. Stay with me for safety's sake. Let's meet the others and find somewhere safer to be."

"But why... who...?" Peter moaned. He rocked back and forth in his seat, a clear sign he was not doing so good.

Kathy didn't like pushing Peter like this, but lives were on the line. She told him as much.

Trembling, Peter gathered up his stuff. Slowly. "I-I'll pack..."

"Here, let me help." Kathy quickly gathered Peter's stuff and crammed it all into his duffel bag, and handed it to him. "Tell me if _anyone_ besides our friends comes along, all right?"

"Y... yes." Peter stared over Kathy's shoulder, chewing his lower lip. "Who wants to hurt us?"

"I don't know," Kathy said gently.

"You don't? Can you find out?"

"Later. Let's get outta here."

Kathy and Peter were barely one step into the hallway when a bullet whooshed past them.

 _Shit!_ Kathy whirled around and snapped off two shots at the assailant. Just in time; the assassin jerked as two bullets slammed into his chest, and he sprawled onto his back.

Peter yelped and clapped his hands over his ears. "S-stop it! Loud! Too loud!"

"I'm sorry. Stay strong for me." Kathy held Peter's hand tightly and rushed to Chen's own room. "CHEN!" she roared.

The door swung open as though Chen were expecting her. He stood there, tensed and ready. "Did they come after you too?" he asked at once.

Kathy nodded tightly. "And they might have gotten Peter, too. We gotta find the others. Hotel comms -"

"Yeah. Someone jacked 'em." Chen stepped out, a pistol at the ready. "Let's do this."

The three of them carefully advanced through the hotel, but Kathy wasn't seeing her fellow Werewolves, and no one was responding to their personal comm units. Shit, were they the last three alive in here?

"Hey! You three!" someone cried further down the hall.

Kathy whirled around, and another assassin came after her. She scowled and fired a shot, and the man crumpled.

"Nice one," Chen commented. "Come on. There's a few more of our guys on the floor below this one."

They didn't dare use the elevator. Instead, they rushed down the stairwells and checked the other rooms... to find their fellows dead, each with at least one bullet hole. A man from Jimmy's third squad had no fewer than six gunshot wounds and three stab wounds on his chest, his body propped up against the bed.

Again and again, they came across their dead fellows, and on this floor, and the next. Twice Kathy could hear heavy footsteps nearby, but she, Chen, and Peter escape via the stairwell, getting closer to the lobby.

"Think anyone's waiting at the lobby?" Chen huffed as the trio made it to the first floor.

Kathy pursed her lips. "Might have a couple of guards there. They probably can't cover _all_ the exits of this place, but they could station two goons by the front doors."

Chen's comm beeped. "Scrappy! Come in!" Jimmy's tinny voice cried.

Kathy sighed with relief as Chen answered. "I'm here, with Kathy and Peter. Assassins are all over this hotel, Jimmy. We barely -"

"Yeah, well, we got some too," Jimmy grated out. "Some bastards jumped us from a back alley. Got Sentaro and two guys from his platoon. I'm trying to reach the others, but it ain't looking good."

Kathy felt the blood drain from her face. Some group was methodically wiping out the Werewolves? Who the hell wanted them dead so bad?

"We need extraction at the hotel," Chen added. "There's bound to be more hitmen at the front doors. We might check -"

"No. Find somewhere secure, and I'll come to you," Jimmy said. "Only seven of us are left. But that should be enough."

"Roger that. Out."

Chen cut the comm and looked over at Kathy and Peter. "Even if we get out of here, Jackson's Werewolves is finished. There's barely a squad and a half of us left."

Kathy nodded. She felt like her insides were stone, but the adrenaline kept her on her feet. "If we know Jimmy, we'll get out of this one just fine. He'd _better_ come."

"Yeah."

They bunkered up in a supply closet and held the doorknob tightly, and waited for twenty-four tense minutes until Chen's comm wet off again. All three of them jumped at the sound.

"This is Chen!" Chen said quickly.

"You three still alive?" came Jimmy's breathless voice.

"Alive and well. Holed up in a closet."  
"Come outta there. Hotel lobby secure. Lost one of our guys taking out a four-man squad."

"Be right there."

Kathy could hardly believe it as she and Chen carefully made their way down the stairs and joined Jimmy and the other survivors in the lobby. Indeed, five bodies lay on the floor, and the hotel staff members were terrified out of their minds.

"Come on." Jimmy motioned, and the nine of them fled the hotel and down Hohenzollern's streets.

"Who the fuck wants us dead so bad?" one of the other survivors grated as they pushed through the crowds.

"Hell if I know. We gotta keep a low profile. Let me see..."

Kathy watched as Jimmy hailed a cab and ordered three Werewolves into it. "Get to the town ten klicks out of city limits," he told them. "Easton, I think it's called. We'll take other cabs there."

The three soldiers nodded and sped off into the night. Then, a second cab arrived, and Chen and Kathy climbed in with Peter. "See you soon," Jimmy told them. Then the cab sped off into the night. Fortunately, the driver asked no questions.

*o*o*o*o*

Good news: Easton had a train station, and the mag-lev train could take them to Zoetermeer's second-largest city, which featured a DropShip landing pad. Bad news: the Werewolves were finished.

"It's the end," Jimmy announced when the Werewolves gathered at a small hotel (an assassin-free hotel). "Kathy, Scrappy, Peter, all of you... we had a hell of a run. Been an honor and all that. But we're nine people with just the clothes on our backs. Tonight, on May 30th, 3050, the Jackson's Werewolves unit is dissolved. I'll alert the MRB as soon as I can. You're all free agents now."

Chen nodded tightly, and clapped a hand on Jimmy's back. "I learned a lot. Thank you for all you have done for us."

Jimmy cracked a nervous smile. "You trying to make me cry, Scrap?"

"I was raised to show proper gratitude."

"Good man. And good luck, wherever the universe takes you." Jimmy shook Chen's hand, and did the same for his other fellows. Even Peter, who was still shell-shocked more than anyone else, accepted Jimmy's hand.

It was time to sleep, and time to end this chapter of Chen's career. Jackson's Werewolves, the first merc gang he ran with... probably wouldn't be his last, either. He had many freelancer years ahead of him. Visit new worlds, sign new contracts, keep practicing in the simpods, get his hands on a BattleMech... what would the 3050s bring?

Time to find out.


	23. Chapter 23

**Wherever the Universe Takes Me**

by Ulquiorra9000

 **Chapter 23**

 _ **Easton, Zoetermeer**_

 _ **Lyran Commonwealth**_

 _ **May 31st, 3050**_

It was a miracle anyone got to sleep that night. Chen was dead on his feet, but his training wouldn't let him rest easy while assassins roamed Zoetermeer, hunting anyone associated with Jackson's Werewolves. Well, _former_ members of that group. Chen wasn't sure how Jimmy was going to handle the group's outstanding debt, however big or small that debt was. He also wasn't sure which planets would be safe, and which wouldn't. Would the assassins follow him off world?

He got his answers soon.

"I got some ways to cover the debts. Leave it to me," Jimmy told the survivors the next morning. "My cousin runs a business. I'll ask her for some help and arrange something with our debtors. I was the commander, so I'm taking responsibility. Don't sweat it."

"And the assassins?" Kathy asked, arms folded. "Can we even get off this world without 'em following us?"

Jimmy grunted. "I have fake IDs at the ready for a situation like this. They're one-time use, since they're kinda cheap, but they'll get us off Zoetermeer. Then after that..." He spread his arms wide. "We scatter to the four winds. Former Werewolves, the universe is yours to explore."

Kathy nodded and took Chen's hand. "I'm going with you, Scrappy."

Chen was only half surprised. "I don't live the safest lifestyle, y'know."

"Oh, please." Kathy snorted. "You should've seen what I did with my old gang, Scotty's Beam Boys. Bring it on."

The other soldiers were going to go their own way, and that left Peter. He sat there uncomfortably in the lobby with them, glancing back and forth between Chen and Jimmy.

"Do what you gotta do, Peter," Jimmy prompted him. "I imagine you want to re-enter the civilian sector? Programming, and stuff like that?"

Peter nervously clasped his hands in his lap, staring at his shoes. "J-Jimmy, I... can I go with you?"

"Sorry, bud. You wouldn't like where I'm going."

"I..."

"You wanna run off with someone..." Jimmy jabbed a thumb at Chen and Kathy. "Try them. They're good fighters, but can't fill out paperwork to save their lives."

Peter swallowed. "Chen, Kathy... um..."

Chen motioned. "I'm not sure where we will go next. Join another group, form our own, become freelancer security guards... I can't guarantee anything."

"Maybe -" Jimmy started.

"I like this life!" Peter blurted out.

Everyone stared.

"I'm used to the danger. The adventure," Peter babbled, twisting his hands in his lap. "I... I can't go back to software firms, or... or a white-collar job! It's too boring now! I want to help people fight and go on journeys all over the place. Chen, Kathy, I want to go with you!"

He sat there huffing for breath, as though he had just ran here. It was understandable; Peter was a computer whiz, but not much of a public speaker. But the conviction in his voice was remarkable.

Chen glanced at Kathy, and they nodded. "If you want to, come with us. Let's see what kind of adventures lie ahead."

Peter nodded shakily. "O-okay. Um... when do we leave?"

"I'm gonna check with the starport and see when the next DropShip lifts off," Jimmy said. He stood up and looked around at everyone. "Damn. I guess this is it... the last time the gang's all here."

"Oh, spare us," Kathy said with a grin. "We'll be fine. _Totally_ fine."

*o*o*o*o*

 _ **Fjord Heights, Vorarlberg**_

 _ **Free Rasalhague Republic**_

 _ **September 18th, 3051**_

It was already dark when Chen, Kathy, and Peter stepped off the passenger DropShip _Summer's Veil_ and onto the city's landing pad. Not to mention raining.

"Here." Kathy unfolded a large umbrella, and Chen huddled under it with Kathy and Peter.

"Not the best first impression," Chen admitted lightly.

"Oh, whatever. I think we're about to have a _really_ good time here," Kathy said brightly as the three of them parted from the crowd of tourists and searched for a cab. "You'd know that better than either of us, Peter."

"Y... yes." Peter glanced away. "Militia recruiters were very clear, Kathy. And open to negotiation."

Kathy clapped a hand on Chen's back. "Just don't get carried away, Mr. Death Commando."

Chen snorted. "Please. I can have a gentle hand if need be."

Then he saw the look on Kathy's face. "I'm serious!"

"Okay, sure..."

*o*o*o*o*

The weather lightened up a bit, just a bit, the next morning. Chen and Kathy took a shuttle bus through the city (Peter stayed behind at their hotel), and watched the city's skyscrapers flash past until they were outside city limits. In the distance, mountain ranges stood tall, capped with snow, and there were more than a few forested hills and mesas along the way. Hmmmmm, nice terrain for training in BattleMechs. And not a moment too soon.

Chen was feeling cooly confident when the bus arrived at the militia training camp, Site Alpha.

"Ah! You must be Katherine Bliss and Chen Yeung," a man in navy blue fatigues said, jogging across the pavement to greet his two guests. He had a distinct Swedish accent. "Welcome. Please follow me."

Chen shared a glance with Kathy and nodded. They followed the soldier across the camp, and already, Chen felt at home. This place was a bit shoddy, but pretty big for a militia training camp in Rasalhague space. He saw an aerospace fighter hangar and landing strip, an ATC tower, the huge admin building (three satellite dishes on top), barracks, vehicle repair bays, and best of all a BatleMech repair and storage bay. Chen had kept himself sharp with simpods ever since his honorable discharge from the CCAF. But to see 'Mechs once again, and to know what was coming next...

He must have been grinning like a fool when he and Kathy stepped into the admin building, because Kathy elbowed him. Chen straightened his face at once.

"Welcome," an older man with short-cropped gray hair said curtly when Chen and Kathy entered his office. "Be seated." He, too, wore navy fatigues. Behind him were two overstuffed bookshelves and a framed painting of a _Victor_ admiring a sunset.

"I am Overste Karl Bjekkon, commanding officer of Site Alpha," the man said, still in that curt tone. "Your credentials check out. Now, I wish to discuss the finer points of your stay here."

Chen knew what was coming. He was prepared for his angle.

Overste Bjekkon leaned forward slightly, hands folded on his desk. It creaked. "You have experience that no one within two jumps of Rasalhague space can provide. Our enemies are many. Our troops are green. So! Handsome compensation is yours, _if_ you can prove worthy."

Chen knew that Overste Bjekkon had more than one reason to have such distaste in his mouth. After all, he and Kathy were mercenaries, and only desperation had gotten them into Rasalhagian borders at all. Not to mention how this must be a blow to Rasalhagian pride, to so urgently cry out for help. But if it's to save a nation...

Kathy beamed. "Those are totally fair terms, Overste. I promise you, Chen and I will share all our expertise and turn those green troops of yours into soldiers of steel."

Chen nodded. "If your men learn half of what I did at the Capella War College, well... you'll have to see it to believe it."

 _That's right. Play yourself up, promise good results, entice the Overste to make big concessions to see those results for himself._ Chen steadies his breathing to hide his excitement.

Overste Bjekkon nodded again. "I like the sound of that, mercenary Bliss, mercenary Yeung. Or should I say, Sergeant? That is, you will be given a similar level of command and responsibility as a proper KungsArme Sergeant."

"Should I assume that other freelance instructors get the same treatment?" Chen asked.

"Correct." Overste Bjekkon narrowed his eyes slightly. "I am sure you will want many things from us. Remember that I can only offer you so many C-Bills for this."

Chen cleared his throat. "I won't ask for much. Perhaps 500 per week?"

Overste Bjekkon blinked. "That is a rather low pay rate, given what we are asking you to do."

"Yes," Chen said, "because I request that the bulk of my pay take the form of a BattleMech."

There. He said it.

Overste Bjekkon, meanwhile, didn't look nearly as surprised as Chen expected. "I see. Yes, as a dispossessed MechWarrior, you would rather cut the middle man and acquire a machine now, rather than save up the cash for one. I suppose you want one of our cutting-edge models?"

Chen suddenly wondered if the tables had been turned on him. "I suppose some browsing is in order."

Now Overste Bjekkon allowed a predatory smile to creep across his face. "I like you, Sergeant Yeung. You know what you want, and apply all leverage to get it. Now, listen to me."

He bolted to his feet. "Exceed my expectations, and _any_ BattleMech on this planet is yours to keep. Meet my standards, and you shall acquire a lower-tech BattleMech. Fail those expectations... and you'll be lucky to get a single damned C-Bill from this militia."

Chen knew exactly what this meant. All or nothing: do an incredible job and get a 'Mech, or fall short and leave empty-handed like a fool. This Overste had met Chen's aggressive demands with a perilous tightrope to walk.

Now Chen stood as well. "I like you, Overste Bjekkon. You stand up to me without sabotaging me."

Kathy snorted. "Oh, get a room, guys."

To Chen's surprise, Overste Bjekkon burst out laughing. "I like you too, Sergeant Bliss. You have a good head on your shoulders. You may not have qualified as a Death Commando, but your record is astonishing. I offer you the same terms I did Sergeant Yeung."

Kathy stood, too. "I'll shake on that." She extended a hand, and Overste Bjekkon accepted it.

A few minutes later, Kathy and Chen were being escorted by a Korporal to their room in the officers' quarters. Once there, Kathy tossed her duffel bag onto her bed and cracked a wide smile.

Chen recoiled. "I don't like that smile."

"Will you be jealous, Chen, when I get a shiny new 'Mech and you don't? At least I'll get a new ride off this planet."

Chen folded his arms. "Excuse me. I learned much from the Capella War College. I will forge those trainees into absolute fighting machines."

Kathy's smile stayed right in place. "Oh, Scrappy..."

"What? Tell me."

"I won't have to." Kathy was clearly fighting not to laugh.

"Kathy...!"

*o*o*o*o*

That afternoon, the somber gray rain clouds were still threatening another downpour, and a few drizzly drops did fall every now and then. But Chen didn't mind a little nasty weather. He was here to forge some fighting machines!

"You are the best hope of the Free Rasalhague Republic!" Chen barked as he paced back and forth before a crowd of one hundred trainee soldiers. "You have suffered at the hands of invaders! You are afraid. You face despair. But I am here, and I will break you into tiny pieces and rebuild you into warriors worthy of the name!"

There was no response. Someone coughed.

 _Okay, maybe my motivational speaking isn't stellar._ Chen changed tack. "You have not met me before, but I have been in your position. Fresh, untried, ready to prove everything. Well, why don't you try and impress me, cadets? Feel up to it? Huh?"

This time, they responded with a unified "Yes, sir!"

"Good!" Chen chose a young man in the front row and got right in his face. "You! Son! What's your name?"

"Sir! I am Gregoro Gustafso. Born and raised right here on Vorarlberg!"

"Hmnmmm. What are you made of, Gregoro? Got any fight in you?"

"Sir, I have a dream. To create a more perfect Free Rasalhague Republic where the people need not live in fear of any invader. We will never suffer tyrants or despots again."

This kid had ear-length blond hair, sharp green eyes, and a sharp jawline. And a solid build. Chen thumped a hand against Gregoro's chest. "Think you can take a punch, Gustafso?"

"Um... sir?"

"I said, can you take a punch!" Chen got right in the kid's face. "What, you think your enemies are gonna challenge you to checkers on the field? Can you take a punch and keep fighting!"

"S-Sir! I believe so, sir!" Gregoro cried. "I was on my high school judo team. I made it to the regionals in my senior year."

"Interesting." This was going nowhere fast. Chen took a deep breath, calculated the right strength... and sank a fist right into Gregoro's chest.

The other cadets gasped, and a few stepped back in shock as Gregoro stumbled back. He clutched his chest. "S-Sir!" he wheezed.

Chen snorted. "What's the matter? I thought you knew how to fight."

"But... _now_ , sir?"

Chen pointed. "Show me that endurance. Get down! Twenty pushups!"

"Sir..."

"Now, dirtbag!"

Gregoro dropped and delivered those twenty pushups. Chen folded his arms and watched with approval... until he sensed something. He saw the other cadets glaring at him with mingled horror, disgust, and confusion, as though demanding answers.

Chen made an exasperated noise as Gregoro shakily got to his feet. "Cadets, I took _much_ worse hits than that at the Capella War College before your parents ever fucked! I faced off against Wing Chun and Shaolin masters under a punishing hot sun and recited poetry about the deeds of proud Liao soldiers of centuries past! I had my soul and body forged into a tempered blade that no enemy could dull."

"Sir." One of the cadets raised his hand. "Forgive me for speaking out of turn. But we are not in Capellan space."

Chen advanced on the cadet. He appeared to be Gregoro's age. "What's your name?"  
"Mikael Svennog."

"Really." Chen delivered a tame but firm backhanded blow that twisted Mikael's head to the side.

The cadets audibly gasped.

"Get your head on straight, Svennog!" Chen roared. "Is this a preschool? I am surrounded by teenagers who expect a friend out of me! You are here because you are ready to crawl through the mud with bullets in your guts! You are here because you are ready to become indestructible tools of the Free Rasalhague Republic's will! You are weapons to be forged, honed, and thrust into the heart of the enemy! But you can't take a fucking _punch_?"

The cadets started breaking out in indignant cries.

"We're not barbarians!" one of them told Chen.

"Go back to Sian!" another cried.

"Just another mercenary thug," a third put in.

Chen felt like a cornered animal as the cadets turned on him. Dammit! What was this? Didn't the Rasalhagians want soldiers ready to fight? They were soft like putty!

He felt someone clap a hand on his shoulder.

"Hey there, Scrappy," Kathy said in his ear. "Follow me."

Chen pointed at the cadets. "Get back in formation and don't move."

Once he and Kathy were a few dozen paces away, near one of the barracks, Kathy grinned and shook her head. "C'mon, Scrap. We're here to push them, not mangle them."

Chen motioned. "This is how I was trained, Kathy. If they don't get a taste of it now -"

"I get it. They need a firm hand," Kathy cut him off. "And I know you can do it. But reinforcing Capellan stereotypes isn't gonna work."

Chen sighed. "That bad, huh?"

"Just... let them beat themselves up, all right?"

"What does _that_ mean?"

Kathy chuckled. "Think about it."

"I'm serious. Dueling the instructors and taking licks is how Capellan soldiers become what they are."

"Just... find an indirect route." Kathy gave him a gentle shove on the chest and walked off to resume training her own group of cadets.

Chen stood there, mind whirring as other cadet squads jogged up and down the camp. Thunder rumbled in the distance and an armored _Manticore_ rolled leisurely toward a vehicle bay, its treads creaking.

Fine.

Chen resumed his spot before the cadets. "Don't expect another punch from me, cadets. But expect no mercy! If you plan on being called warriors, prove it. Time for some cardio. Move it!"

He blew a whistle that he'd been given, and the cadets turned and expertly started jogging in perfect unison. Chen jogged alongside them to keep up. "Cadet Gustafso!" he barked.

Gregoro tensed. "Yes, sir!"

"You've got yourself a fine dream, kiddo. But it ain't gonna come easy! Earn it, or forget it. You hear me?"

"Yes, sir! Count on it!"

"Good. Maybe you lot oughta learn from him," Chen added as the group jogged along a curve along the pathway, near the live-fire training field. "Having a vision of the future can move you even when your spirit is broken and your bones are mush. You don't know your own strength until you need it most. Understand?"

"Yes, sir!" the cadets cried.

Chen kept them going, and he used this as a chance to explore more of Site Alpha along the way. It took him another few minutes to spot what he _really_ wanted to see: BattleMechs! The camp's entire eastern half was dedicated to them, and he saw a lance of trainee 'Mechs, two _Griffin_ s and two _Centurion_ s, jog as they followed their trainer (in an _Orion_ ) to the target range.

 _Medium and heavy 'Mechs for training?_ Chen thought. Either the Rasalhagians were much wealthier than he expected... or they were desperate to show off to the many mercenary instructors here and spread the word of the FRR's apparent might later on. Well, whatever. This simply meant more and better toys for Chen to play with.

Chen barely noticed that everyone was getting exhausted. Including himself.

He blew his whistle. "Fall in formation!"

Wheezing and panting for breath, the cadets formed up, many of them trembling and wiping their brows. Damn. If anyone fainted here, he'd get fussed at. At this rate, he'd be the proper bully around here -

Chen winced when someone doubled over and retched.

"What the hell was that?" Chen demanded.

"I-I'm sorry, sir," the offending caded said weakly, coughing. "H-haven't run that much before..."

Chen sighed. "Anyone else about to lose their lunch?"

Yes, actually. Another cadet doubled over and lost her lunch, and the rest of the cadets were clearly fighting not to join them. Chen scratched his head, trying to figure out a way to explain all this to Overste Bjekkon. At this rate, he'd be lucky to have two C-Bills to rub together.

 _Kathy, please tell me you're having a better time than I am!_


	24. Chapter 24

**Wherever the Universe Takes Me**

by Ulquiorra9000

 **Chapter 24**

 _ **Site Alpha, Vorarlberg**_

 _ **Free Rasalhague Republic**_

 _ **September 24th, 3051**_

The next few days of drilling cadets at Site Alpha proceeded... well, not unlike the first day. Try as he might, Chen found himself either pushing the cadets to insanity, or scaling back the training so much it did no good. This was nonsense. Whatever Kathy and Overste Bjekkon told him, Chen was sure that his own training experience was a fine foundation for forging soldiers and MechWarriors. If you couldn't take some punishment at training camp, what were you to do on the battlefield?

Without even being asked, Peter (back at the hotel room) ran a detailed analysis comparing training methods of the five Successor States, and major Periphery realms and even the FRR. What he found backed up Kathy's claims that Chen ought to use a slightly gentler hand.

 _I'm sure that you mean well,_ Peter added in his notes. _But Chen, your views on soldier life and training are subjective. It is imperative that you yourself are open to some molding by exterior forces, not just your trainees. That is, even teachers learn_.

Chen had read all this on his noteputer in his and Kathy's bunk room and grinned despite himself. That Peter sure was more confident when he didn't have to talk face to face! Fine, if the numbers showed it, Chen could switch gears. Maybe. Somehow.

Overste Bjekkon was more impatient.

"Sergeant Bliss, you take over soldier training and field drills," he had said earlier this morning. "Sergeant Yeung, you handle the live-fire BattleMech training sessions. Try not to kill my cadets, will you?"

And so, Chen found himself in the 'Mech hangar, feeling like he was being reborn as he changed into a cooling vest, shorts, and boots for 'Mech piloting. _I couldn't ask for more!_

The 'Mech assigned to him was an _Orion_ , but something seemed... _different_... about it as Chen climbed the scaffolding and settled into the cockpit. This machine looked pretty newly built, unlike the patched-together rust buckets he saw during his own career. This wasn't a Succession War relic, was it? Didn't seem so.

Chen spoke the passcode the Overste had given him, and once he slid the power lever into place and flipped a few switches, the 75-tonner rumbled to life. According to this machine's HUD displays, Chen was piloting an ON1-M _Orion_ , loaded with... whoa.

"Is this an LB-10X autocannon?" Chen asked on the general comm to the support staff.

"It sure is," came a woman's cheery voice. "You're piloting one of the KungsArme's first-ever 'Mechs to use it. Be honored, mercenary. Treat it well."

Not only did this monster have an LB-10X at its hip, but the LRM launcher was a 20-tube model rather than the usual 15-missile type. In addition to the standard SRM 4 and twin medium lasers, this _Orion_ had a NARC missile launcher! This put anything Chen ever piloted to shame.

Once prompted, Chen gently pressed the pedal and allowed the _Orion_ to lumber out of the bay and into the open training field. Damn, it felt so good to feel a hulking 'Mech walk underneath him, its footfalls reassuring and its creaking metal like music to Chen's ears. And this thing wasn't even battle-scarred or jury-rigged. It was _fresh_.

Chen switched over to the training comm channel. "This is Sergeant Yeung. Everyone into formation."

He was the last one to arrive; the other cadets were milling around in their machines, getting a feel for them. All of these 'Mechs were using low-power rounds and half-power lasers for safety's sake, Still it was remarkable that relatively green 'Mech pilots were allowed the real thing in between simpod sessions. Well, training in real 'Mechs did offer some advantages.

"You see those targets?" Chen asked. He used his _Orion_ 's right arm to gesture at a series of round targets down the range. "I'm marking point values on them all. Let's make a game of this, cadets. Whoever scores the highest gets to pilot that _Awesome_ I saw in the hangar earlier."

Chen could already imagine the trainees salivating at the thought of piloting an impressive assault 'Mech like that. An _Awesome_! Who would pass that up? Even combat vets hesitated to take on such a monster in combat.

"Report in," Chen added, "and get ready to take positions. Four 'Mechs at a time, spaced one hundred meters apart."

First up was a cadet Chen recognized at once on the comm: Gregoro Gustafso, who piloted a _Centurion_. "I'm ready, sir," Gregoro said eagerly over the comm.

"Hey, me too," came another voice as a _Griffin_ ambled into the second spot.

"Decorum, cadet," Chen told him.

"I'm sorry, sir. This is cadet Mikael Svennog, reporting in."

Meanwhile, a cadet named Tsuya Olaffsdottir took up the third spot in her _Crab_ , and a trainee in a _Whitworth_ occupied the fourth and final spot on the range.

"Have any of you fired live ammo from a BattleMech before?" Chen asked. "Doing this in person is not the same as the simpods, I should warn you."

"No, sir," Gregoro admitted. "But we are ready anytime."

Chen had no what idea to expect. Time to find out. "Ready... open fire."

All four 'Mechs let loose with their full arsenals, from the _Griffin_ 's PPC to the _Centurion_ 's LB-10X (more advanced weapons!) to the _Crab_ 's trademark twin large lasers and LRMs from the _Whitworth_ 's chest-mounted launchers.

One target was hit.

"I did it!" Mikael cried in glee. "Sir, look! How many points was that?"

Chen sighed and checked his readout. "Five points for that one, cadet. And you barely hit it. As for the rest of you, what just happened?"

"I'm... still getting used to this, sir," Gregoro admitted, waving around his _Centurion_ 's LB-10X cannon. "I won't miss again."

"I sure hope not," Chen commented darkly. "Aim carefully and wait for the right moment before firing. Having a big gun doesn't _ever_ mean victory on the field. Do you understand?"

"Sir, yes sir!" Gregoro cried. "Preparing to fire again."

Chen kept his _Orion_ steady, folding his arms as the four cadets took aim once again. And missed.

"Cadet Olaffsdottir," Chen said. "You are aiming low."

"Oh. Yes, sir," she responded.

"And so...?"

"Um..."

"Cadet, the _Crab_ has heavy claw hands. That makes the machine aim low unless you compensate," Chen told her. "Hit that target, or so help me, you'll complete your training in a _Savannah Master_. The same goes for all of you! Fire!"

They unleashed a third volley. Marginally better results.

"Okay. That's another five points for cadet Svennog," Chen reported as Mikael's PPC vaporized a target into scattered embers. "And five for cadet Gustafso for that LB-10X hit. And..." He kept checking. "Ten for cadet Olaffdottir. Well done, hitting that target from 380 meters out."

"Thank you, sir," Tsuya said warmly.

Chen ambled forward. "Watch this." He set up his crosshairs on multiple targets, prepared his targeting solution, and squeezed both triggers.

The _Orion_ recoiled as a cloud of twenty warheads raced from its launcher, and a target 600 meters out vanished in an earth-shuddering fireball. At the same time, LB-10X rounds tore into a second target, while the medium lasers evaporated a close target and the SRMs obliterated a fourth.

Chen got another surprise: his heat, which had spiked at once, was already coming back under control. Did this thing have double-strength heat sinks in it? The _Orion_ was cooling off so fast.

This was a new era for sure.

"That would have been 45 points for me," Chen said calmly. Then he winced when the comm was flooded with cheers and excited babbling.

"That was incredible, sir!" Tsuya cried. "How did you do that? Four targets at once?"

"No wonder you were a Death Commando," Gregoro added.

Chen stepped back. "Now, try it again, cadets."

He gave the four-member team five more volleys until he demanded a cease-fire and added up the points.

"Cadet Svennog, you lead with 80 points," Chen reported. "You've got some aim there, kid."

"Thank you, sir," Mikael said. "I made sure seven was on my side for this."

"Seven?"

"This is 'Mech 0-77, and it's painted right here on the chest, sir." Mikael tapped the _Griffin_ 's chest with its left hand, drawing Chen's attention to the "0-77" stenciled there in black.

"Seven is his lucky number, sir," Gregoro explained. "It helps him focus."

"He's our best shooter, sir," Tsuya added.

Chen had more than a few opinions to share about that. He kept them to himself. "Next group, take position and prepare to fire on my mark."

It took another hour for all of the trainees to get all their shooting done, and everyone got more than a few chances to score some serious points. A few cadets truly struggled and ended up with 0 points, but Mikael ended up on top with 535 points, with Gregoro in second with 360 and Tsuya in third with 295.

Chen glanced at the 'Mech bay. "You lot got your ammo refilled, right?"

"Yes, sir, as you ordered," Gregoro said.

"Good." Chen stepped into the field's middle. He didn't care if he got yelled at for what came next; he _had_ to see this. "Cadets Gustafso and Svennog, step forward, fifty meters apart. Yes, like that... stop."

Both parties were 500 meters apart, and Chen tagged the _Centurion_ and _Griffin_ on his screen. "How did it feel, shooting targets out there?"

"Felt good, sir," Mikael responded.

"How would you like to go again?"

"I would like that, sir," Gregoro put in.

"How about shooting at dummy tanks? Like a _Manticore_?"

"If you want, sir," Mikael said.

"How about _me_?"

There was a second of silence.

"You, sir?" Gregoro took a few heavy steps back in his _Centurion_.

"Yes, me. Targets don't shoot back, cadet! You learned some basic aim. But you're not going to see dummy targets on a real battlefield."

"Sir, this is -" Mikael started.

"Necessary," Chen cut in. "We're using low-power rounds and low-yield lasers. Avoiding hitting the cockpit, and there is no problem. Fight me, cadets, and show me what you can _really_ do."

Chen could tell that the other cadets were eager to see this, and they crowded together at the training field's edge to get a good view.

The cadets fired first.

LB-X rounds erupted from the _Centurion_ 's right gun muzzle, and the flashes of light were brilliant on this cloudy, drizzly day. But the shots went wide, and underpowered rounds hissed through empty air. Chen got his _Orion_ moving, and he was already settling his crosshairs on the _Centurion._

Mikael took his shot, and the PPC beam rammed into Chen's right shoulder.

"Not bad," Chen muttered as the armor sensors reported simulated damage. But not good enough yet!

Chen released another LRM volley, and though the _Centurion_ tried to evade them, all but three of the warheads collided with the machine, from its left shoulder to its left knee.

Oddly, Mikael didn't try to fire back; he was performing evasive maneuvers, clearly hoping that Chen would keep firing at only the _Centurion._

Wrong. Chen punished the _Griffin_ with LB-10X slugs, and the smaller 'Mech recoiled from the shot. But by now, Gregoro's _Centurion_ had gotten its footing back, and now it was making a mad dash for Chen's _Orion_ , its arms pumping.

Chen tapped into the comm. "What's this? You are approaching me alone?"

"I have to get closer to defeat you, sir. I have a dream! I can't realize it if I don't make my move."

"Then make it."

The _Centurion_ slowed to a jog and spat out a handful of LRMs. Chen heard the _Orion_ 's missile alarm go off, and he shoved his joysticks hard to the right. But interestingly, the LRMs curved aggressively to follow him, and they exploded all over Chen's right side.

"Artemis IV FCS, sir," Gregoro explained. "Those missiles are tough to shake off."

Taking this chance, Gregoro aimed his LB-10X muzzle and fired. This time, half of his pellets struck home, chipping armor off the _Orion_ 's left thigh. Oh, this kid had some good instincts after all!

Chen decided that enough was enough. He fired his SRM 4 launcher, and a quartet of vicious warheads pounded the _Centurion_ 's chest. Chen followed up with both lasers and his LB-10X, and the _Centurion_ 's sensors were probably going crazy with all that damage at once. As the 'Mech flailed its arms to keep its balance, Chen fired the SRM launcher again. The four missiles overwhelmed the _Centurion_ 's balance, and the machine fell flat on its back.

"Mikael! Get him!" Gregoro cried.

Indeed, Mikael's _Griffin_ was keeping its distance, and from afar, it fired both its LRM 10 and PPC. Too late; Chen slipped past both long-range attacks, then retorted with his LRMs. Mikael did his best to avoid them, but half of the missiles collided with his right side, and Chen followed up with LB-10X rounds that hammered the _Griffin_ 's right shoulder.

Chen tapped into the comm. "The _Griffin_ 's shoulder is a major weak point. Your LRM 10 launcher should be jammed, and good luck calibrating the PPC's aim."

"Sir! How did you know that?" Mikael cried. He fired his PPC, and indeed, the beam missed by a wide margin.

"I've been piloting 'Mechs since your parents were in high school. I picked up a few things." Chen positioned himself halfway between the two 'Mechs. "Shall we continue?"

"No, Sergeant Yeung," a new voice said. Chen saw a new 'Mech appear on his scanners, and he turned to see a charcoal-gray _Atlas_ stomping toward him. "Stand down. That's more than enough live-fire training for today."

"I can keep going," Gregoro said earnestly as his _Centurion_ shakily got to its feet.

"No. All MechWarriors, return to the hangar bay and dismount," the _Atlas_ pilot said in his deep, stern voice. "Sergeant Yeung, I don't want to see any more impromptu dueling without the Overste's permission. Is that understood?"

Chen lowered his 'Mech's arms and began marching toward the 'Mech hangar with the cadets. "Perfectly."

 _Worth it._

*o*o*o*o*

Sure enough, Chen got another earful from Overste Bjekkon, who warned him that if he "abused and exploited" his temporary rank one more time, he'd be lucky to leave Vorarlberg with all of his bones intact. And by the sound of things, Kathy was doing things by the book with her trainees, but nothing impressive. Nothing to warrant earning an entire, fresh-off-the-assembly-line BattleMech.

What a headache.

Kathy retired early, but Chen lingered in the officer's mess hall rather late until he finally made his way toward his and Kathy's shared bunk. He was already mentally formulating his responses to Kathy's predicted teasing, and he couldn't help a grin. Kathy knew him better than anyone currently alive, for good or ill

"S-Sergeant Yeung!"

Chen stopped and beheld cadet Tsuya Olaffsdottir catching up to him, still in her dark blue fatigues. She made a quick salute.

"Is there a problem, cadet?" Chen asked her. "You'd probably get better results from the senior staff on base."

Tsuya shook her head. "No, sir, it's not that. I wanted... well, I wanted to thank you."

Chen raised his eyebrows. "For what? As far as the Overste is concerned, I'm a bull in a china shop here."

Tsuya's lips curled in a faint smile. "Here in Rasalhague space, we have a version of that phrase that's more crude and accurate."

"Do you?"  
"Yeah. How good is your Swedenese?"

Chen made a helpless gesture. "I speak Mandarin, English, and Russian, but I don't know a word of Swedenese."

"Oh. Well, it goes: _ovjaar blatte myojiffsa ar teken yamasjen jla rui-da."_

"You lost me, cadet." Chen wondered where on earth Tsuya was going with this. Did someone dare her to mess with the blundering sergeant and make him do something stupid? That wouldn't surprise him.

"Seriously..." Tsuya looked a bit uncomfortable. "I... I really admire how you stay true to yourself. Like, authentic to your own creed, and you don't take _jarlfreddei_... nonsense... from anyone. I think the Overste is wasting your potential. Sir. If I may be so frank."

Chen motioned with his hands. "I won't report you for speaking ill of the Overste. You can confide in me. I'm working _with_ the KungsArme, not from within it."

"Yeah." Tsuya swallowed. "I'm the same way. I ran away from home to be here, and to do something _right_. I bet you haven't been to Vorarlberg before, have you, Sergeant? There's a huge criminal underworld here that everyone tries really hard to ignore. It's leftover from all the yakuza gangs and Norwegian smuggling and sex trafficking rings that operated in this region of space."

Chen felt his gut clench. "Were you a... I mean..."

"N-no, sir! I wasn't a trafficked slave! I'm the daughter of a man who gets rich in that trade." Tsuya made a sour expression. "I hated him for it, but I got the rod if I ever spoke out. It's hell, being a mobster's daughter, Sergeant. He's not big enough to send elite teams to kidnap me and drag me back. I'm safe here. But even if this militia is my life now, and I can't stop being related to someone who... who makes a commodity out of people's lives!"

Chen was no therapist, but he had seen some ugly things before. He gently took Tsuya's shoulders. "You said it yourself, cadet: you came here to remake yourself. You're defined by your decisions and personal creed, not your genes. Don't feel _tainted_. Feel proud that you took this step."

"Y... yes, Sergeant." Tsuya nodded weakly. "I'm atoning for my family's _daisuka heofan-ga_ , our crimes against heaven. But I was a coward who just hid my face under my pillow until I finally got some fucking resolve and got out of that life. _Kusottbard_!" She cursed. "Am I acting selfish? Trying to get clean just to feel better about all this? Coming here won't free all the slaves my father traffics."

Chen had heard this logic before. "Everyone has a right to be their best selves and be happy. There's nothing hypocritical about it, cadet. And think about all the lives you'll protect from raiders and bandits and thugs once you're in the militia as a proper MechWarrior. You'll build up all kinds of karma, if you want to think about it that way. That's all anyone can ask."

"I'll see," Tsuya said vaguely, but she did look a little happier. "Hey... Sergeant."

"Yes, cadet?"

"The simpods are always open for general use. And I loved how you made Gregoro and Mikael fight you in a real duel, to give them a _real_ taste of combat. I want that, too."

"A simpod duel? Against me?"

Tsuya beamed. "You and Sergeant Bliss, if she'll join us."

Chen lowered his hands from Tsuya's shoulders and jabbed his thumb back over his shoulder. "I'll speak to Sergeant Bliss. Either way, I'll see you at the simpods. Don't worry, I'll choose a 'Mech in your weight class."

Tsuya clapped her hands together. " _Dankei-gatoy!_ Thank you! And don't you dare go easy on me! Sir!"

She gave him a hasty salute and scampered off toward the simpods.

Chen was only 39 years old. But already, he found himself thinking _Ah, youth_...

*o*o*o*o*

Kathy was outraged at the idea of being left out, and delighted to join both Chen and Tsuya at the barracks simpod hall. There was no rule against using the simpods at this time of day, and only a few were currently in use. So, Chen strapped himself into a pod, with Kathy taking the one to his left and Tsuya settling into the pod on his right.

Chen fitted on the pod's helmet and pressed dashboard's buttons and dials to get everything booted up. If it weren't for simpods, Chen's BattleMech skills would have deteriorated so much since 3040 he'd be outgunned by Gregoro or Mikael. Dispossessed MechWarriors owed a lot to these things.

"Radio check," Chen said.

"I can hear you, Sergeant," Tsuya said lightly. "Don't worry Site Alpha's hardware is in great shape."

"Right." Chen browsed a selection of medium and heavy 'Mechs on the screen and settled on one. "Cadet Tsuya, you're up against me first. Choose a medium."

"Roger that, Sergeant. Which 'Mech will _you_ use?"

"The one I understand best: the _Vindicator_."

"He never shuts up about them," Kathy remarked.

"For a reason," Chen muttered. Meanwhile, the server ran through a list of maps rapid-fire, then settled on a desert map with scattershot terrain.

Chen's screen placed him in the familiar cockpit of a _Vindicator_ , and he immediately hit the throttle and broke out into a brisk jog. He eyed the shifting dunes and boulders, plotting patterns of cover and ambushes in his mind. In many cases, the right cover or exit route was more powerful than any PPC or artillery round.

"I can't find you, Sergeant," Tsuya complained. "It's just desert."

"Perhaps you are too used to live-fire ranges," Chen told her. "Have patience, cadet. This teaches you to stay alert and watchful."

"Understood."

Chen, who was more used to taking things slow and waiting for a stronger enemy to finally show their weakness, enjoyed this chance to explore the punishing desert. What a shame, though, that his best gun was also a toasty one -

 _There!_

A radar ping appeared on Chen's scanners, up to the northwest. He turned his _Vindicator_ and broke into a sprint, headed toward a large mesa. He didn't know what kind of 'Mech the younger warrior was using; would she try to ambush him with a _Hunchback_ , or perhaps wear him down with a _Trebuchet_?

A _Crab_.

"Found you!" Tsuya cried. Her hunched 'Mech turned and sprinted toward Chen, opening its trademark claw-hands to expose its twin laser muzzles. She was at 575 meters and closing

Chen placed his crosshairs on Tsuya's 'Mech and fired.

"Oh no!" Tsuya's _Crab_ staggered as the PPC bolt punched into its back-canted right knee, and the 50-tonner stumbled.

Chen chuckled. "Cut the chatter, cadet. Focus."

"Y... yes, Sergeant."

Meanwhile, Chen flung a quintet of LRMs from the _Vindicator_ 's chest-mounted launcher, and all five pounded on the _Crab_ 's center torso.

Now the _Vindicator_ was running hot, and the 45-degree Celsius setting was not helping. So, Chen trotted backwards and prepared to fire another LRM volley, just in case.

Tsuya's _Crab_ regained its balance and resumed the charge, weaving around boulders as it went. Now it was at 510 meters, just 60 shy of a large laser's maximum range.

Chen's LRMs slowed it down.

"Be mindful of our distance," Chen told her as his machine's heat gauge slowly went down. Damn, this place was a scorcher. "I can outshoot you with my two main guns. So, what are you to do?"

"I... oh!" Tsuya's _Crab_ slipped behind a boulder, and to Chen's shock, it vanished from his radar entirely.

 _She switched to passive radar mode?_ Chen frowned. That was risky, unless... she was counting on Chen staying in the same place, so she could estimate his location more easily than he could estimate hers. After all, Chen was the better warrior, and he would stay in the open rather than sneak around. He had no need for tricks, but Tsuya did.

 _This cadet is a standout for sure._

But unless Chen was horribly mistaken, he could turn this plan around. He fired up his jump jets and vaulted to the southwest, arcing high through the air until he landed behind a ridge. No way would Tsuya find him.

"Got you! What the...?" Tsuya cried on the comm. "Sergeant?"

Chen heard the distinctive hum of twin large lasers, and Tsuya had probably fired as soon as she popped out from behind cover. How hasty.

"I said cut the chatter, cadet! React to the unknown!" Chen barked.

"Understood, Sergeant!"

Chen's heat gauge was high again thanks to those jump jets, so he ran along a huge, gentle curve to buy himself time to cool down. Slowly but surely, his heat levels sank to 0, and he tilted his 'Mech upward. He fired an LRM volley into the open air.

"What was _that_ , Scrappy?" Kathy commented (she was an observer). "Did you put VTOLs in this sim?"

Chen didn't answer. Instead, he switched to passive radar and waited for the bait to work.

It did.

Tsuya's _Crab_ appeared roughly where Chen expected it to, and both 'Mechs were 500 meters apart. Chen fired up his PPC, and the blue lightning punished the _Crab_ 's left shoulder. LRMs flew right into the wound, and the arm started to creak and sag.

In desperation, the _Crab_ turned and fired its right large laser, but the beam diffused into harmless radiation a few dozen meters shy of its target. The _Crab_ broke into another sprint, right there in the open.

Chen sighed and hit the override button. Heat be damned, he needed to teach a lesson. Once he placed that reticule on the _Crab_ 's injured knee, a PPC beam leaped from the _Vindicator_ 's muzzle and sliced right through the joint's remaining armor. Unspent energy chewed up the inner myomers and steel bone, and the _Crab_ pitched forward from its momentum. It skidded forward on the loose sand, and finally came to a halt on its belly.

"S... Sergeant," Tsuya groaned. "I can't get up."

Ignoring his cockpit's heat warnings, Chen jogged toward the fallen 'Mech. "Concede, cadet. I've got my crosshairs on your cockpit."

" _Kusottbard!_ I give up."

The screen returned to the main menu. "Cadet," Chen told her. "You had good ideas out there. Passive radar, estimating my position, trying to get inside my LRM and PPC minimum range. But it didn't work. Why?"

"Your aim is very good, Sergeant."

"Yes, that is true, but you got reckless. A frontal charge against me is _always_ going to turn out badly, and you were too slow to adjust to a changing battlefield. I don't want to see that again, all right?"

"Yes, Sergeant."

Kathy chuckled on the comm. "Please tell me you didn't enjoy that, Scrappy. Beating up kids?"

"I'm not a _svalkiri_!" Tsuya cried.

Chen snorted. "I did what I had to. C'mon, Kath, like you're any different."

"True enough. Okay, sweetheart. Ready to face off against _me_?" Kathy asked the younger woman. "Remember what Sergeant Yeung told you, and apply it."

Tsuya was silent for a few seconds. "Understood, Sergeant Bliss."

"Why the hesitation?" Chen asked her. "If you would rather stop here, we can resume training tomorrow."

"No, it's not that, Sergeant. It's just... Gregoro and Mikael are my friends, and we were so sure that whatever came, we'd be ready. But now I realize how naive we were being. How can Gregoro or I make a freer and better FRR like this?"

"Hey, don't get discouraged, cadet," Kathy told her gently. "This is what training's for. Find the strength you didn't know you had, and become your best self."

"...Yes, Sergeant Bliss. I just feel foolish, is all. I ran away from my father, so _sure_ that I had everything figured out. But I'm a small fish after all."

"Look, I've been a big fish in some ponds, the little fish in others," Chen told her. "That goes for Sergeant Bliss, too. You'll get used to it. Now gear up, cadet. You're fighting Sergeant Bliss. And she doesn't play nice like I do."

Tsuya squeaked. "That was _nice_?"

"I said gear up, cadet!"

"Yes, sir! Sergeant Bliss, I'm ready!"

"Come and get me," Kathy said in an ominous tone Chen always heard right before a slaughter.


End file.
